


Burning Alive

by POTFFAN



Series: Fire Meets Gasoline [3]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crimes & Criminals, Din Djarin Whump, Divorce, Drowning, F/M, Mandalorian Clans (Star Wars), Omera whump, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Pregnancy, Rough Sex, Smut, Vaginal Sex, attempted non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:28:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26004193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/POTFFAN/pseuds/POTFFAN
Summary: Din and Omera team up with Cara to track down Briggs. Of course, no evil man would be complete without his Entourage. Cue our favorite bounty hunting couple and shock trooper on a mad dash around the galaxy to weaken Briggs, one pillar at a time.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Omera (Star Wars)
Series: Fire Meets Gasoline [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661119
Comments: 42
Kudos: 19





	1. The Entourage

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my lovely readers! I'm so glad yall are enjoying my series. Things are really starting to heat up so thank you for your continued support! Anyways, enjoy the chapter! Comments and critiques are always welcome. As for those who haven't picked up on it, the title of the series as well as many of the titles for the fics within all came from the song Fire Meet Gasoline, a music video our lovely Pedro Pascal stared in. Enjoy!

A ship drifted through space aimlessly. To any observer, the exterior was calm and placid. No one could know the strange mix of emotions that was brewing beneath the steel surface. After escaping the Child’s village it had been a mad dash back to Sorgan to grab Sei and Sala before anything happened to them, and now they had been traipsing the galaxy for weeks and weeks on end. Omera was five months into her pregnancy now and feeling all the irritability and discomfort that came with it. She had been cramped in the hull of the _Razorcrest_ with a constantly hovering Sala and a fussy baby. If she thought it was cramped before, it was definitely cramped now. Thankfully her morning sickness had faded, but in its place came a whole slew of new and delightful symptoms. She was constantly tired and irritated all the time. Things that normally wouldn’t get on her nerves now drove her up and wall and there were times where she had to focus every available resource into reigning in her emotions lest she just start screaming in frustration. Her baby bump started showing as well. That part wouldn’t be so bad if she and her husband had actually been able to share the excitement together. Most days he stayed up in the cockpit, piloting with Sei and researching Briggs obsessively.

Omera sighed inwardly. At least there were people who’s excitement about the coming baby hadn’t faded, almost exhaustingly so. When Omera first told Sei and Sala everything that had happened, from finding out about the baby to the tragedy that happened at the village. She could tell they were trying to remain neutral despite their excitement at the prospect of not only having the little green baby in their lives a while longer, but also of having another grandchild on the way. They knew what happened to the village was frightening and a tragedy and since they had come aboard the ship, Sala in particular had made sure that she and the long-eared baby wanted for nothing.

The past few weeks had turned up zero leads and Din was getting desperate. Any time they seemed to find something that they could use to put pressure on the crooked politician or reveal his whereabouts, it turned out to be a dud. On the outside, he appeared to be a regular, charming politician that was loved by plenty and just happened to attend house meetings via hologram due to “being away to oversee charitable projects”.

She could tell her husband was getting frustrated, even if she’d seen very little of him. He quit sleeping beside her and instead elected to sleep up in the cockpit with the little baby snuggled against his chest and Sei sleeping in the chair beside him. Sei had explained that this because it would be ungentlemanly to deprive the women of the ship a comfortable place to sleep, especially Omera, but she decided that she would sleep on a bed of nails if it meant she could fall asleep next to her husband again. Because there were constantly people present who were not Mandalorians, they couldn’t take their helmets off much less have any kind of intimacy with each other. She felt so separated from him and worried. He definitely hadn’t been himself since the village and chose to be quiet, pensive, and somber. She knew there was guilt and turmoil rolling around In his head underneath the steel.

Din was never one to open up in front of people. He hated showing any kind of weakness around people and she knew that she was one of the only ones in this universe he’d been open and vulnerable with. He would never be able to truly open up when he was surrounded by others. That would require privacy. Omera resolved that as soon as they landed somewhere, she would make sure they have even just a little bit of time alone so they could talk and she could make sure he was alright.

Up in the cockpit, Din was piloting the ship while Sei bounced the baby in his arms. The little creature had originally been down in the hull with Omera and Sala but had absolutely screamed his little head off until he was brought up to the cockpit with his father and was content to sit with Sei as long as his helmeted caregiver was within eyesight.

A shrill beep pulled Din’s attention away from the ship's controls and he saw the communications light flash on his dashboard. Reaching over, he pressed a button to see the details about the incoming correspondence. It was Cara. Din had reached out to her after they’d left Sorgan asking her for any information she had on Ninx and quite possibly Briggs. She was able to help with the former but not the latter. After promising him she’d do a little recon and get back to him, she’d disappeared into the void for weeks on end. This was the first word they’d heard from her and Din silently hoped that she’d been able to come up with something. Taking a deep breath, he answered the call and the tiny hologram projection of Cara popped up on the dash.

“Hey Mando, I think I found some good stuff for you,” the holograph announced.

“Anything you think we can track?” Din asked.

“Oh most definitely. I’d give you the details but this is pretty sensitive information I have. It would be best if we talked in person. Can you come to Navarro?”

“Yeah. We’ll be there as fast as we can,” Din assured.

“Great. I’ll see you when you get here. Signing off,” Cara replied before she holograph off.

“Want me to let the others know that we're headed to Navarro?” Sei asked.

“Yeah, that would be great,” Din replied. He stretched his arm out. “Here, let me take the baby.”

Sei placed the baby in Din’s arm before climbing down to the hull below. Din sat the baby on his lap and engaged the autopilot before letting the baby grab onto the ships throttle and “pilot” it. The baby squealed with joy as he loved to fly the ship with his father. A half-smile cracked across Din’s face. He hadn’t really smiled since the village but his son never failed to put one on his face. The baby looked at him with his big eyes and giggled before he started turned his attention back to his flying. Din’s heart ached. He wasn’t sure if the baby had made the connection that his family had been completely wiped out in the bombings. It wasn’t clear how much his young brain could comprehend. Since the tragedy, sometimes the baby would wake in the middle of the night crying and wailing with what Din was certain were nightmares. He remembered those well. Even now as an adult, sometimes he would wake in a cold sweat after having dreams of his parents and his village. It was just another way in which he and his adopted son were connected.

“I promise you,” he said earnestly. “I will make sure Briggs pays for what he did to your family.”

**********

“You sure it’s ok if we all come?” Sala asked as the little group exited the _Razorcrest_ into Navarro’s atmosphere.

“Yeah. Navarro is safe now that the Imperial Remnant is gone,” Din reassured.

He looked around at the familiar town. It had been a long time since he’d been here. Not since he’d barely escaped with his son. He’d been a very different man when he was here. He’d been a feared bounty hunter and guild member. His Tribe had been here, hidden safely underneath the city. All of that was gone now. For a moment he felt impossibly alone. Looking to the side, he saw his wife catch up so she could walk beside him. He took in the sight of her and realized that he hadn’t seen much of her since they returned to Sorgan. Her belly curved out slightly where their child was growing. Her armor would have to be modified to accommodate her changing body. Guilt prodded at him as he reached over and grabbed her hand. Her helmet turned to him and she squeezed his hand as if to reassured him that they were ok.

The trek to the Guild Cantina wasn’t far and soon they were entering the building. It was empty save for Cara and Karga who were sitting at a booth talking. Upon seeing the little troop enter the building, Karga stood up and greeted his former employee.

“Mando! It’s good to see you!” Karga exclaimed as he slapped him on the back. Cara stood to join them.

“Nice to see you, Din. You too Omera.” She went to give the latter a hug but stopped when she took in the woman’s figure. “Oh my gosh. Omera are you pregnant?” Omera nodded enthusiastically and Cara grinned so wide Din thought she certainly would split her face. “I’m so happy for you too! Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Cara,” Omera replied, grinning under her helmet. Trust Cara to make everything right.

“Cara, you had some intel for us?” Din prompted. There was a touch of impatience in his voice.

“Of course. Have a seat,” Cara gestured to the booth. Din, Omera, and Cara all sat at the booth to discuss business while Karga, Sei, and Sala waited patiently with the baby in another booth.

“So what do you have?” Omera asked.

“Briggs has what Karga and I refer to as “The Entourage”; five men who are his most trusted advisors. All of them are either small-time political figures from smaller districts or powerful businessmen who run large corporations and he runs all of his operations through them, garnering voter support and resources. Ninx was one of them.”

“So now there are four,” Din interjected.

“Exactly. If you want to cripple Briggs and make him vulnerable enough to put down you’re going to have to take out his Inner Circle. As of right now he essentially has an entire army to protect him through these guys.”

Din nodded. He knew this was going to be a long but necessary step to avenging the kid’s village. It would take work and every skill he possessed, but it would be worth it. They’d come this far and they’d already taken out Ninx. How hard could this be?

“Alright then it’s settled. We’ll go after his advisors first and then we’ll go after him. Do you have information on where they are?”

Cara produced four bounty tracking fobs. “Everything you need is here but they aren’t exactly working underground. These guys, they are powerful and out in the open. They won’t be hard to find.”

Din nodded and stood. “Thank you, Cara. This was very helpful. I’m in debt to you.”

“Then let me make it up to you now. Let me come with you,” Cara said.

“What? Cara this isn’t official Guild business. It’s a personal vendetta. You won’t get anything out of this,” Din reminded.

“So? That’s not why I’m offering. Believe me, I don’t need the money. Business has been good.”

“She’s right. It has!” Karga interjected.

“I’m doing this because you’re my friend and I care about the kid too. Briggs has gone too far. The kid’s village, my colleagues that I lost, they deserve to be avenged. Besides, you almost didn’t make out of the encounter with Ninx. With Omera pregnant you’re going to need a partner in the field that can help.”

As Cara continued to try and convince her husband to take her along, Omera couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anger. She knew she was pregnant and wouldn’t be much help even if Din let her but the way Cara was talking made her sound useless and much like a liability. She may not be able to fight like she use to but she could still shoot with excellent marksmanship and now she could add piloting the hell out of the _Razorcrest_ now to her list of skills. And for Cara to bring up the Ninx debacle right In front of her? She drummed her fingers irritably on her lap under the table and thanked the stars that the helmet hid her face. She hoped that Din’s unwavering stubbornness would prevent Cara from tagging along because, at this moment, she didn’t much feel like being cooped up in the ship with her.

“Come on, Mando. It’ll be just like old times,” Cara reminded. Din sighed and shook his head.

“Alright, fine,” he replied and Omera’s heart sank. The pregnancy emotions were kicking in again and the thought of being crammed into that overcrowded hull now made her want to cry.

“Great! I’ll get my gear and then we can leave,” Cara said with a grin.

“Alright. Come on, everyone. Let’s move out,” Din ordered as he turned and started to head for the exit. Omera knew it was now or never to get how she was feeling off her chest.

Omera reached out and caught him by the arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Din, wait.” He turned to her. “I—I think it’s just a bit too crowded in the _Crest_. Seriously, there are a lot of people crammed in there. I don’t think we have room for any more people.”

“I understand things are a little tight right now but you heard Briggs’ threat. He’s going to go after everyone I care about. I can protect everyone if we’re all together.”

“I understand that but it’s not like he’s going to snip us from space Din. There’s not enough room for everyone. You can still protect us if we flew in two ships.”

“Two ships? Omera that’s not safe!”

“It is if we stay together!”

“Anything could happen. I can’t stop it if we get attacked or separated. We're safer on one ship. End of story,” Din persisted.

“Why can’t you just listen for five minutes?” Omera’s voice was full of edge as she planted her hands on the hips.

“No, why can’t you listen to me? I know how this works. This _was_ my life. I know the risks.”

“You always make me feel like an idiot when it comes to stuff like this!”

They were shouting now…in the middle of the cantina…in front of everyone. Omera could feel the color rising up her neck as embarrassment rocked her core but she was on a roll now and there was no stopping her. All the emotions that she’d kept bottled up for the last few weeks were spilling over and coming out as frustration and anger towards her husband. This was their first serious fight since they’d been married and it was a doozy.

Sala shuffled her feet nervously. She’d never seen these two argue before and the tension in the air was beyond uncomfortable. She snuck a glance at her husband who was also feeling the tension and was trying to pretend that he wasn’t aware of the battle of the sexes going on in front of him. The baby’s ears lowered as he watched his parents argue, clearly distressed by the rising tempers. He buried his little face into Sala’s arm and clutched at the sleeve of her dress.

“I don’t know why we’re talking about this,” Din said exasperated, grabbing the sides of his helmet like he was going to rip his own head off. He was mad enough now to do it at this point.

“Because! I am uncomfortable all the _fucking_ time Din! I can barely sleep and relax as it is and with all of us crammed wall to wall it’s next to impossible!” Omera shouted before she broke down sobbing.

“Whoa, hey hey, Omera,” Din said, his tone softening as he took her into his arms. “Hey don’t cry. It’s alright.”

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry I’m dragging you down.”

“No, no. You’re not dragging me down. I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was so hard for you. You’re right. You need to be resting and comfortable and I need to be sensitive to that. I’m really sorry, Omera.” His wife sniffed and nodded her head. “We’ll arrange for another ship, alright?”

“Sorry, not to eavesdrop but I think we can secure another ship through the Guild. Right, Karga?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I should be able to help you out,” Karga said quickly, still feeling awkward.

“Alright then. It’s settled. We’ll take two ships. I’ll get things settled here and we'll meet the rest of you back at the _Crest_.”

“I’ll see what I can do about the ship,” Karga muttered as he filed out with Sei, Sala, the baby, and Cara.

Din turned back to his wife and lifted her head a little so that her dark visor bore into his. “I’m sorry, _Cyar’ika,”_ Din said softly. “I should have been more sensitive to what you needed. It’s my job as your husband to take care of you.” He rested his hand on her baby bump for the first time. “The both of you.”

Omera nodded and took his gloved hands in hers. “I know that we have endured some really big things in the last few months. I know that what happened at the village brought up some really painful things. I’m not going to pry. I know you’ll open up when you’re ready. But please, Din. Don’t shut me out ok? At the end of the day, I am still your partner and most importantly, your wife.”

Din nodded and squeezed her hands gently. “Thank you.”

“Always, _Ner cyare_. Now, let’s get a move on. It sounds like we’ve got work to do.”

“Yeah. We’ve got our work cut out for sure,” Din replied as they left the cantina to join the others.


	2. No Closure Needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Cara go after the first of Briggs' entourage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! Thank you so much for reading. Just a quick note. I recently recieved some nasty comments on this series (they've been deleted). I know domestic Din is not everyone's favorite, and I know there is a large chunk of people who are not fans of Omera. I write this series because I miss my fiancé. He's military and we've been separated since the pandemic hit the States. All I'm saying is to be kind to everyone. We are all writers and we never know why someone chooses to write. 
> 
> Phew. now that the business is out of the way. I hope you enjoy! This chapter is action-packed!

Omera sighed contentedly. For the first time in weeks, her husband was sound asleep beside her. He was curled around her protectively and his hand rested lightly on the soft swell of her belly. It was amazing what a little skin to skin contact could do and the ugly fight they’d had earlier seemed like a distant memory. The soft lull of the ship was gently rocking her to sleep when Din’s arm around her tightened ever so slightly. She heard a soft whimper against her back and his breathing was shifting from deep and steady to rapid and ragged.

“Din? She called to him softly as she rubbed his arm, trying to wake him up. When his distress didn’t subside, she carefully sat up and turned to look at him. A thin layer of sweat covered his skin and torment creased his face. “It’s alright love. It’s alright.”

His eyes flickered open and for a moment they darted around like he didn’t know where he was.

“I’ve got you, Din. It’s alright. You’re safe,” Omera murmured softly as she gently carded her fingers through his long locks. He seemingly relaxed under her touch and his eyes closed for a moment as he drug in deep breaths through his nose. “Are you with me?” She prompted.

“Yeah,” he rasped as he opened his eyes again and looked at her. She lay back down on her side, this time facing him so she could look into his face.

“It was just a nightmare.”

“Yeah, been having a lot of those lately,” Din confessed as he extracted one hand from under the blanket to scrub across his face tiredly.

“What do you dream about?” Omera asked.

Din averted his eyes and looked embarrassed. She reached over and cupped his cheek gently. “It’s alright, love. It’s just us here.”

“Some times it’s just memories of stuff that’s happened to me, my childhood, things I wish I could forget. Lately…” he trailed off and clasped her hand tightly, holding it to his bare chest. “I keep thinking about what Briggs said, about how he was going to hurt you and my son. I’ll stop at nothing to make sure that doesn’t happen.” There was an edge to his voice and Omera could tell he was getting keyed up again.

“I know you will Din. I’m not even the slightest bit worried about that. You’ve fought to protect this family from the very beginning. You’ve never given me any reason to doubt you then and you certainly haven’t now. Besides, you have me right beside you every step of the way. You don’t need to worry about any empty threat Briggs makes.”

There was still worry and unsettledness lurking in his eyes. His muscles were tense with anxiety. For some reason, he couldn’t let go of the fear that fueled his actions and motives. Omera gently stroked his chest as she leaned forward to kiss his lips.

“Relax, _ner cyare_ ,” she murmured against his mouth before he returned her kiss, gently yet urgently. She ran her hands up and down his torso, tracing the muscles in his arms and back. Her fingers reached the curls at the nape of his neck and she tugged on them over so slightly, causing him to let out a low rumble against her skin as he buried his face against her neck.

“Stars, Omera,” he breathed out as his fingers ran lightly down her back.

“It’s been too long, darling,” she murmured before trailing kisses down his jaw.

“I know,” he rumbled before easing her onto her back and leaning over her. For a moment, he looked deeply into her eyes as he traced her face lovingly with his fingers before leaning down and pressing gentle kisses down her neck. She gasped softly as his lips sent a fluttery feeling straight to her core. Her hands grasped at his strong arms, looking for some way to anchor her to this world.

“Din…” she gasped before he captured her lips in a passionate embrace and she felt his hand slowly slip under her shirt.

She moaned softly into their kiss as he fondled her breast and squeezed the over-sensitive nipple with his fingers as he kissed her hungrily. He surely would have finished her off that way but he had other ideas as his hand moved from underneath her shirt. He kissed down to her neck as his fingers skated across her skin and slipped beneath her underwear. She gasped when he touched her and bit his shoulder to keep from crying out as a whole new wave of sensations rolled throughout her body. Her hand moved to the front of his pants, feeling him swelling beneath the fabric and a stuttering breath fluttered against her collarbone.

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” he moaned softly, pushing up against her hand.

“Din!” Cara’s voice over the intercom startled them both. “We’re approaching Denon. T-minus five minutes until landing. You’d better get up here.” Din and Omera sighed simultaneously as they withdrew themselves from each other. 

“Well, so much for that,” Omera said with a hint of wistfulness in her voice. Trust Cara to mess up an intimate moment between them.

“I’m sorry,” Din said. He was already tugging on his clothes and armor. “I promise when this is over I’ll make it up to you,” he said before sliding on his helmet, not even bothering to give her a final kiss before masking his face with the steel.

He was gone from the hull and up the ladder before she even had a chance to say anything to him. Their bed was suddenly empty and cold as she rolled back onto her side. She closed her eyes and felt a familiar ache tug on her heart.

Din appeared through the cockpit hatch just as the curve of the planet Denon swelled into view. Like Coruscant, specks of light that looked like stars dotted the planet, signaling the bustling metropolis that covered the world’s surface. They would be met with lights and bustling city life; an excellent place to work unnoticed.

Cara turned to him and acknowledged his presence before returning her attention back to the task of the landing procedure. The baby, who was sitting in the co-pilot’s seat babbled happily at him when he saw his father and reached up to be held. Din picked up the little bundle before sitting down in the seat he once occupied. He spotted the bounty puck on the dash and flicked it on. A holographic image of a man roughly in his mid-forties with slicked-back hair and a carefully manicured goatee popped up.

“This is our first target?”

“Yeah. Apollo Dune,” Omera replied.

Din snorted. “Doesn’t bear any relation to you does he?”

“Nope. Just an unfortunate coincidence,” Cara replied. “Knowing the kind of work he’s into it’s probably a fake name.”

Din watched as the planet shifted from an indiscernible ball of lights into a detailed city as they grew closer to the main docking port. “He must do something big for him to live here.”

“Real estate agent,” Cara supplied. “He’s worked with some of the biggest names in the galaxy. Prized fighters, renowned musicians, and politicians to name a few. He’s something of a local celebrity himself around here.”

“Boy, I’ve been stuck on the farm too long. I use to keep tabs on people like this,” Din said with a hint of regret in his voice. He reached over and turned on the intercom. “Omera, we’re landing now, love,” he said before switching the intercom off. He was pensive for a moment.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Omera’s armor is going to have to be modified a little it now that she’s starting to show. I was planning on getting Petra to fix it but we won’t be able to do that until after we handle Dune. It’s not safe for her to come with me until that’s done.”

“So what are you saying?”

“You come with me and she’ll stay with Sei, Sala, and the baby.” Cara shook her head. 

“She’s not going to like that, you know. Omera’s always been spunky and she doesn’t like to back down from a fight.” She paused for a moment before adding, “you two are perfect for each other.”

“Well, she’s going to have to understand that we’re playing by different rules now and that we have another little life to protect. I promise it won’t always be like this. But until I know she’s protected I can’t run the risk. Surely she’ll understand that.”

**********

Omera understood alright. It did not stop the gut sick feeling she got as she watched her husband and Cara leave the docking port behind on their search for Apollo Dune. She could feel the tears burning her eyes but refused to let them fall, even if no one could see.

“She seemed to handle that well,” Cara remarked once they were far out of sight from the docking bay.

“That’s because I married an incredibly rational woman,” Din replied as he checked his blaster before holstering it and withdrew the tracking fob. “This way,” he said as he started along a broad, brilliantly lit avenue. “However, if Dune is as popular here as you say, I can’t imagine it’ll be too hard to find him.” 

The Mandalorian and shock trooper walked side by side in silence for a spell as they followed the tracker, occasionally turning down another street as it directed.

“I can’t imagine how real estate helps Briggs,” Cara commented presently.

“More than likely he’s running a large portion of the profit to Briggs to fund his campaigns. He probably also arranges for vote endorsements with his clients. Anything to fun the Senator,” Din said as he shook his head.

The beeping got faster and more high pitched as they got closer to their target. Cara looked up, searching the towering skyscrapers for anything that might possibly be their target. A few more blocks and the tracker brought them to the foot of a towering, glittering skyscraper. Even from the ground below, Din and Omera could see that the very top floor, the penthouse, was made of glass.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised given what we saw from Ninx,” Din replied. “Money does make the world go round here.”

“So what’s the plan? What are we doing here?” Cara asked and his helm turned to face her.

“We’re going there, we’ll get as much information about him as we can about Briggs, and then we kill him.”

“What about local authorities?”

“We’ll try to keep this quiet but should something happen and they get called, we’re coming out of here hot. Keep the risks and injuries to a minimum. We’re not here to start a war. I told Sei and Omera to have the ships ready to pull out when I tell them to.”

“Alright, Mando. You’ve got this all figured out. Let’s do this,” Cara said, feeling the old thrill of the hunt filling her. Din could feel it too. He was primed and ready for action. Remembering the frightened face of his son surrounded by death and destruction was motivation enough to get this job done swiftly and efficiently.

He flicked on the infrared sensor on his helmet. He could see the ground floor lobby was devoid of bodies. “No guards downstairs. There are probably other people living in this building. Tread carefully,” Din warned before switching the sensor off and pressing forward into the building with Cara close by.

“There’s an elevator,” Cara said, jogging to the glass tube at the far end of the lobby. Din was getting a bit of déjà vu as they entered the lift and headed upwards towards the penthouse. He wondered if every one of these missions was going to start this way.

Cara glanced at the Mandalorian to her right. He was quiet, but a different kind of quiet. The man rarely said much as it was. But this was a silent, razor-like focus. He was ready to go and so was she. The elevator glided to a halt and there was a muted ding as the doors parted. The pair found themselves face to face with a lavish party. For a moment, it seemed like none of the guests noticed the new arrivals, even after they stepped out of the lift.

“Hey! Cara announced loudly and the gathering came to a screeching halt. The guests turned to look at them. “Which one of you is Apollo Dune?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” A goateed man who matched the holograph picture on the bounty puck piped up. There was an air of arrogance in his voice.

“If you don’t want to be shot dead along with this dog, I suggest you leave now,” Din ordered in a firm and commanding voice.

For a moment an impossible stillness hung in the room. It was if someone froze time as the room’s occupants gawked at the Mandalorian. In the next moment, however, there was a collective shuffle of feet as party-goers quickly made their way for the elevator. There was a general look of fear on their face as the Mandalorian and shock trooper parted to let the guests through and file into the lift. Personal space didn’t matter as every last guest squeezed into the lift and the doors shut, carrying them far away from the pending carnage.

“Well, well, well, Mr. Djarin. I don’t appreciate my party being interrupted,” Dune said agitatedly.Din bristled at the use of his real name.

“I take it your employer has informed you of the situation,” Din replied.

“He’s not my employer, we’re partners. And of course, he has. Do you think word wouldn’t get out about all the trouble you’ve caused? Ninx was an excellent business associate. He helped me working around regulations and zoning laws more than once.”

“What are you getting out of your “partnership” with Briggs?” Cara asked.

“How many real estate agents can boast that they have the personal endorsement of a senator, eh? My money and reputation tripled overnight once I joined Briggs. I will not let you destroy my empire so if you don’t mind, I’d like to dispose of you quickly and get my guests back up here for the party.” The man was nonchalant and it pissed Din off but he knew this was a game and Dune was just trying to get to him.

“I’m afraid your party’s over. You’re going to tell us everything you know about Briggs and his operations and perhaps you can continue your miserable existence,” Din replied.

Apollo laughed as he walked to the bar and poured himself a drink. “We’ll see about that, now won’t we?”

He flipped a switch and suddenly smoke poured into the room. For a minute, Din held his breath as every alert in a system. He checked the gages on his helmet, only to find that the smoke was harmless and wouldn’t kill them if breathed in.

“It’s fine, Cara. Just a safety protocol. And a useless one at that,” he said as he activated his infrared sensors so he could see. Just as he did, he saw a humanoid shape enter the room from a side hallway. The shape of his weapon was unmistakable in Din’s sensors. “Look out!” He called and threw himself over Cara as the let forth a spray of blaster shots. Din felt them ping off his armor be remained unscathed as he guided Cara to the bar and they took cover behind it.

“Ok, so not completely useless,” Cara replied. “I can’t see a damn thing.”

Din scanned the room with his sensor and saw that ten more men had filed into the room. Apollo was nowhere to been seen.

“There’s ten more in here. Make that nine,” Din said as he aimed his blaster and fired at a goon who was foolish enough to attempt to breach the bar. “They must have infrared sensors as well if they can see through the smoke. Apollo’s somewhere in the apartment. Stay here,” he said before vaulting over the bar, throwing all his weight into his feet as he kicked another guard in the face on the way over. The blaster fire instantly focused on the Mandalorian but between the armor and Din’s quick set of reflexes, it would be little to no use. Cara sat crouched behind the bar as she listened to the sounds of fighting and blasters pierce through the smoke when suddenly it stopped.

“Din? Din are you alright!?” Worry settled in the pit of her stomach until he answered and she sighed with relief.

“Guards are neutralized. They have infrared glasses on. Smart,” Din commented as he bent down and picked up a pair of glasses that had fallen off as their wearer collapsed. “But not smart enough.” There was a pause and then his voice was beside her again. “Here, put these on just in case.” He put the glasses in her hand.

Taking them from him, she put them on and activated the infrared sensor. The smoke was phased out and she could see the shape of him in front of her. “There you are,” she said as she got to her feet and grabbed her pistol.

“Let’s go,” Din said as he made his way to the hall where Apollo’s guards had entered. Once inside, the smoke was gone and the two bounty hunters turned off the sensors, relying on their own eyesight to guide them to the other end of the hall.

They came out into a billiard room that had a sweeping view of the city through massive windows. There was no time to appreciate it as the room was filled with approximately twenty or so bodyguards with their blasters drawn and waiting. Din and Cara froze.

“Really wish I had beskar on,” Cara muttered as Apollo chuckled from a raised platform on the other side of the room where guests could observe the games below and have a private conversation.

“You both fought valiantly but I’m afraid your silly little crusade is over. Briggs will be most pleased that _I_ was the one who put you down. I think this will be most beneficial for my company.”

As Apollo was gloating in the face of their defeat, Din was busy calculating and planning. If he could just get Cara undercover, they had a fighting chance. She was a well adept soldier and could handle herself just fine from a protected vantage point. He glanced over and spotted the power controls on his left. Given the power efficiency of the city, he figured if someone were to blow a fuse in this building, the backup power would take approximately five seconds to kick on. That was five seconds of darkness, five seconds of distraction. It would take one swift and perfectly aimed shot to pull it off. In the time it took to snap one’s fingers, Din flinched and fired a shot as he stood in front of Cara. This tiny movement set the guards off in the room as they opened fire. Din felt a point-blank shot hit him square in the chest plate just as the lights went out, knocking the breath out of his lungs and him off his feet into Cara. They couldn’t waste a precious second as Din shoved Cara in the direction of a heavy metal card table. He sucked in a desperate breath as he switched in infrared on again and found the table quickly. With all his might, he kicked the table over, forming a protective barrier as the lights came on again.

“Get them!” Apollo yelled as the room erupted into chaos.

“I’ve got this. Go!” Cara yelled as she peeked from behind the table and fired at some oncoming men.

Din jumped up, shielding his head from the barrage of blaster shots before firing his own, killing the sources. His mission was clear. Don’t let Apollo escape. Din leaped over the table and climbed up onto a hintaro table, looking for a way up. Seeing none in his immediate vicinity, he decided to skip the stairs and take the easy way up. Taking aim, he launched the grappling hook in his bracer at the raised platform. The hook caught and he was pulled up to the platform—where he was met with the largest Devaronian he’d ever seen, who smashed him in the side of the head, making his ears ring.

Cara fired a round of shots, dropping more and more of Apollo’s men in front of the table she was hiding behind. It was getting a little crowded and she felt like the crowd had thinned out enough so that she could move to a different vantage point. Swiftly she jumped out from behind the table and bolted for a large column that was holding up the raised platform Din was currently on, firing all the way. She ducked behind and fired some more. There were only a few guards left and they would be done soon.

Din was taking a beating up on the platform and it was pissing him off. He did not come all this way to get his ass handed to him by a Devaronian. So, he allowed himself to be fueled by his fury and threw several strong punches, dazing the Devaronian long enough to pull his vibroblade out and ram it through his throat, killing it instantly. The Devaronian stumbled a few steps and coughed up some blood before collapsing face first. Apollo gasped in horror as Din’s visor bore down on him. For a moment, Din wanted to kill the slimy man right then and there but they were here for a reason and he needed to finish it. Grabbing Apollo by the arm, he dragged him down the stairs from the platform just as Cara killed the last guard. Still full of rage, Din threw Apollo to the ground and aim his blaster at Apollo’s forehead.

“Tell us everything you know about Briggs, now!” Din demanded harshly.

“I’d rather die,” Apollo spat.

“You will if you don’t fucking tell us!” Cara replied.

“You don’t have the guts.”

Din pressed the barrel of his blaster against Apollo’s head. “Try me.”

“You already know everything!” Apollo stuttered out. “I don’t know where Briggs is. He never tells us. He just drops in whenever he pleases! I feed money to him for his campaigns and he in return promotes my business. That all!”

Din stared at the blubbering man in front of him. It was utterly pathetic, but he could tell he was telling the truth. I made sense for Briggs to be smart and cover his tracks, even from his closest advisors. He shook his head as he lowered his blaster. “He’s telling the truth. There’s nothing more we can get here. Let’s get out of here.”He turned to leave with Cara.

“You better run, Din Djarin. You better run far away. Your wife, Omera, and your son and new baby won’t last much longer. You can’t protect them forever,” Apollo taunted as he struggled to get up.

That set something off in Din. Tapping into the part of him that was cold and detached, the part of him that could look a desperate face square on and still collect them for bounty, he turned and fired, hitting Apollo in the forehead and killing him instantly. Cara was shocked for a moment and turned to the Mandalorian.

“Din? What was that?”

“He knew too much,” Din replied irritably. “Let’s go.”

They were headed for the main room again when the sound of sirens blaring grew louder and louder. Even in the large window, the flashing lights stood out starkly against the city.

“What’s that?” Cara asked as she looked at Din.

“Looks like the local authorities have arrived,” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As always, rate and review!


	3. Was That The Plan?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Cara make a desperate escape in the wake of Apollo's execution and Din returns to an old friend for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! I am indeed alive and I did not forget about you! In the last few weeks, I moved and started a new job so needless to say things have been hectic but I'm back with a lovely new chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains characters from My Reaching For You series and will be difficult to follow if you haven't read the previous series.

“Well this really puts a damper on things,” Cara said as peered through the panoramic window to see a wall of uniformed officers already circling the building.

“It’s safe to say we’re surrounded,” Din replied looking out the window on the other side of the room. “We probably have about two minutes before they storm the building.”

“There are too many. I don’t think we can sneak out of here. What gives?”

“Apollo was an important man with powerful friends. That requires an army.”

“We could shoot our way out,” she suggested but Din shook his head.

“That wouldn’t be honorable. They aren’t part of Briggs’ men. They are just trying to do their job. Plus, we are grossly outnumbered. We’d be blasted to bits in seconds. There has to be another way out of here.” Din looked out the window again, trying to calculate a way to escape. Authoritative shouting could be heard down in the next room.

“Din! We are officially out of time!” Cara said urgently.

“Do you trust me?”

“I suppose?” She replied with a confused look on her face. Din was not the type to get sentimental, especially in the middle of a high-pressure situation.

“Good,” he said before he ran at her full speed. Cara was caught off guard as he plowed into her, knocking her off her feet and sweeping her in the direction of the window.

“Din! Din what are you doing?! DIN!” Cara screamed as they smashed through the glass and plummeted.

Cara was not afraid of anything. She’d always been brave in the face of mortal danger. It was why she joined the rebels and their cause and it was why she’d decided to become a bounty hunter. No one intimidated her and she had no phobias of any kind. But as she fell the 102 stories in Din’s arms, the ground rushing rapidly to meet them, she was paralyzed with fear. Din was a sensible man. If he truly saw no way out their situation it would make sense for him to go out on his own terms. This was the end and there was no pulling out of it. She couldn’t even draw in the air to scream as she clutched onto Din tightly.

Din ignored the fact that they were currently free-falling and concentrated. He had one shot or he and Cara would hit the concrete below so hard their bodies would surely be obliterated. With expert aim, he fired his grappling line and felt his heart nearly stop when he heard the undeniable metallic clang of it latching on. Wrapping his arm around Cara he grabbed onto the line with his other hand and braced himself. The pair was snatched out of the air and carried off by a passing cruiser. They had just barely escaped the jaws of death as they sailed away from the skyscraper and the officers seeking to arrest them.

Din saw flashing lights reflecting in the polished surface of the cruiser they were hanging off of and craning his head, he saw some of the police speeders following them. Well, their daring escape didn’t buy them as much time as he’d hoped but their current situation certainly beat sitting around waiting to be shot in the penthouse. Cara seemed to realize that they were going to in fact live another day and was looking to him for their next move.

“Climb up!” He shouted over the rushing wind. “I’m right behind you!”

Cara nodded and shimmied up the line. Once she was in the cruiser she turned and started to pull the cable, helping Din to climb up beside her. Din couldn’t help but be surprised to see that the driver was a droid and it appeared they had caught a ride on some sort of escort cruiser. He had absolutely no problem grabbing the droid and tossing it off the side before taking control of the wheel and pushing the vehicle to move at its maximum speed.

“We’re not going to outrun them in this thing,” Cara commented as she looked behind them to see the police cruisers gaining on them.

“I know. I know. Just give me a chance to think of a way out of this,” Din hissed as he jerked the cruiser down a side ally and onto another street.

The police were not going to be lost so easily and followed them, getting closer and closer to the perpetrators. Cara could clearly see their faces now and a few pulled their blasters and took aim.

“Din!” Cara cried as the shots started flying.

Din jerked the cruiser down another street and wove through some cars but that didn’t stop one officer from getting a clear shot at the cruiser’s left thruster. The shot rang true, exploding the motor in a spray of smoke and sparks. The cruiser jerked, sputtered, and Din felt it rapidly decrease in speed. The police would be on them in seconds. He glanced to the right and saw a busy main street that was crowded with cruisers and other vehicles. It was going to be a tight squeeze but it was their only chance at freedom. He yanked the skiff over and dipped into the crowded streets, plunging deep into the crowds and maneuvering around the other vehicles. He let the breath he’d been holding as he noticed the red and blue lights were no longer behind him.

“Ha! Looks like we lost em!” Cara chuckled.

“Nope!” Din banked hard and skidded down a side road just as a few police cruisers pulled out in front of them. The maneuver cost them a pretty serious T-bone as they plunged down the street and plowed through a sign warning the general public of a construction site.

“Din this is not good,” Cara said, bracing against her seat as they whizzed by half-completed buildings and heavy machinery.

“Yeah, I know!” Din growled as he focused on piloting the craft around the dangerous equipment. Shots started to fly around them. “Cara could you-“

“Way ahead of you, Mando,” Cara said as she pulled her pistol and started firing warning shots at the police, trying to deter them from getting any closer.

The shots help thin out some of the cruisers and as they burst through on the other end of the construction site. The towering skyscrapers and overall luxurious feel to the area around them suggested that the chase had led to the business district of the city. It was quieter here at this time of night as the business day was over and all the workers had gone home. Unfortunately for the two suspects, this allowed plenty of room for the remaining officers to follow them unimpeded, and they were rapidly gaining.

“Mando!” Din heard Cara cried and he turned around briefly to see one of the officers in the cruiser mounting a rocket launcher. Both Mandalorian and shock trooper were familiar with this kind of weapon and both knew the heat-seeking missile would not miss them. No amount of fancy maneuvering or slick pilot tricks would save them this time. There was only one way out.

“Come on, Cara!” Din exclaimed as he grabbed her and jumped out of the cruiser just as the rocket left the gun.

For the second time that night, they were free-falling through the city air. It felt like time slowed down as the rocket hit the cruiser and exploded in a terrific column of fire and metal debris. In the brief moment they were plummeting, Din wondered if it was worth it; if the danger and the constant run-ins with death were worth it. In the end, what was he accomplishing? His train of thought was broken as Cara clutched onto him for dear life and screamed. Firing his gaping cable at some scaffolding that clung to the side of a large skyscraper. The line buried itself in the metal and pulled taut as Din and Cara swung on the cable and crashed through the glass window of the building. They tumbled onto the floor of a dark office and for a moment, they laid there, side by side, trying to catch their breath.

“You good, Mando?” Cara asked presently.

“Yeah,” he replied flatly.

“Good, because what the hell was THAT?” She exclaimed as she sat up. “You threw me down over at least 100 stories, not once but _twice_!”

“I’m sorry, ok? I didn’t have a choice. Things got a little messy this time around. We’ll do better next time.”

“There won’t be a next time if you keep pulling shit like this. Damn it, Din. You’ve got a wife and kid and another one on the way. I shouldn’t have to be telling you this. At the very least, _I_ would like to make it home in once piece at the end of all this. I get it, you did what you had to do. But next time, we don’t let it get that way in the first place. Deal? I don’t want to be thrown out of any more windows on this job.”

“Fine,” Din said as he pulled himself up before helping her to her feet. “Now let’s get out of here before they figure out where we came from.”

Cara nodded as they jogged out of the office, making their way down the stairs and out of the building before they disappeared into the night.

***************

Din never thought he’d be so relieved to see the _Razorcrest_ in his life. Luckily, their strategy of keeping to the shadows and slipping through the city unnoticed worked and they returned to the landing dock without further delay. He spotted his wife pacing anxiously outside the ship while Sei and Sala sat on the ramp with the baby. There never was a better sight to his eyes. Omera must have heard them coming because in the next moment she turned to face them and then she was running to them. He felt her practically throw herself into his arms and he held her close.

“I thought you were killed,” Omera said softly.

“I’m fine, Love. I’m fine. You know I can handle things,” he said as he looked into her visor.

“We-we got this,” Omera said as she held up her portable holographic projector and pressed the ON button. A red projection popped up that featured Din and Cara’s faces. WANTED was written out in multiple languages.

“Everyone within the vicinity of the city got this. It’s all over the news. You two are wanted for Apollo’s murder.”

“Apollo was a powerful man. It’s not surprising that everyone in the city would know about his death,” Din replied as he started walking towards the ship.

“If Briggs didn’t know what we were doing, he does now,” Omera protested as she followed him. Cara held up the back of the group.

“Yeah. I guess he does,”Din replied as he took his son from Sala and started up the ramp. “Come on. Let’s move now before they find us here.”

***************

Within a few moments, both ships were rising into the air and leaving their destruction behind. Din was up in the cockpit with Cara, while Sei and Sala followed behind in their wake. Omera and the baby remained below, waiting for Din to set the convoy’s next destination.

“Alight. Give me a minute and I’ll track down our next target,” Cara said as moved to a monitor and started calculating coordinates.

“Not yet. We have another stop to make first,” Din replied as he started typing in coordinates on the navigation pad.

“Where?”

“Mimban,” he said, finishing up and standing. “You think you can handle this from here?”

“Yeah. Go be with your wife and kid. I’ve got this,” Cara reassured as she sat in the pilot’s seat and nudged him on.

Din sighed tiredly as he climbed down the ladder to the hull below were his wife was sitting in bed with their son. She’d already stripped off her armor and helmet for the night. Weariness was tugging at him and he felt it deep in his bones. All night long, adrenaline had been pumping through his veins and this mission had drained every last bit of his strength and mental willpower. He was exhausted.

“Din? You alright?” Omera asked as he began to pull off his armor. He still hadn’t taken off his helmet yet and she yearned to see his face.

“Yeah, just tired,” he replied as he got the rest of his armor off. He sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off his boots before pulling his shirt off. He heard Omera let out an audible wince.

“Din,” she breathed out. “What happened?” Her fingers trailed across the large, ugly bruise on his chest.

“Got shot point-blank.”

“Hang on, let me take a look at that,” she insisted as she sat beside him. “Are you having any breathing trouble? Any pain in your left arm?”

Din shook his head and stifled a groan when the pain of the bruise made itself know. Omera decided a physical examination was not necessary and she didn’t want to cause him further pain.

“I’ll spare you the lecture that getting hit in the chest like that can break bones, cause an arrhythmia, or trigger internal bleeding,” she said softly. “I know you know this.”

“Thank you,” he replied tiredly and Omera noticed the sweat soaking his skin. She checked his pulse and concluded that the sweat was leftover from his action-packed evening.

“Thank the stars for beskar,” she said, easing him back so he was lying down. “Here, take your helmet off and relax. I’ll be right back,” she said as she got up and went to the refresher. There, she grabbed a cloth and wet it before returning to the bedside where she found her husband, helmet still on, sound asleep. Their son was curled up on his chest, sleeping soundly as well.

She sighed as she began to wipe down his body, taking care not to wake him or to add any pressure to the large bruise on his chest. His torso was littered with scars from past injuries. Some of them, she was very familiar with and others, she knew had been inflicted long before they had met. It amazed her how much he had endured over the years. When she was finished she set the cloth aside before donning her own helmet and climbing into bed beside him. She decided she didn’t want to risk waking him up by trying to remove it so out of solidarity, she would wear hers too as she drifted off to sleep beside him.

**************

Din couldn’t help but feel a touch of nostalgia as they entered Mimban’s atmosphere. The last time he’d been here, it had been just him and the kid. He’d been a desperate man still trying to figure out fatherhood and he would have never guessed that a year later he’d be back with a wife, his son, and another little one on the way. He was excited to see his old friend again. As he guided the ship to land in a large clearing he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his helmeted wife behind him with the baby in her arms.

“Is this where our next target is hiding?” She asked.

“Nope. We’re here for a very different reason,” he replied as he landed the ship. He turned to Cara. “Make sure Sei and Sala get landed alright and stay here. We’ll be back in a bit,” Din promised as he stood and motioned for Omera to follow him down the ladder and out of the _Razorcrest_.

“Where are we going?” She asked as she followed him through the damp forest, leaning on his arm occasionally as he helped her step over fallen logs and thicker underbrush.

“To see an old friend,” he replied as they came into view of a village. He heard her gasp softly when she spotted the Mandalorians milling around. Two heavy Mandos stood at attention at the entrance but they eased up when they saw Din approaching.

“Din! It’s good to see you!” One said, slapping Din on the back once they reached the entrance. “Want one of us to fetch Petra?”

“Oh! Petra lives here?” Omera asked. Din could hear the joy in her voice and he nodded at the guards. One ran off while the other ushered them into the village. He couldn’t help but watch her observe the village with a child-like wonder. The way she took in the world around her, the way every new thing she discovered filed her with awe and wonder caused a grin to tug at his lips. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

“Din!” A familiar voice pulled him out of his reverie and he turned to see Petra jogging up to them. “It’s so good to see you both!” She exclaimed as she hugged him.

“It’s good to see you too,” he replied and pulled off his helmet so she could see his grin. She pulled hers off as well before looking to Omera and the baby. “I’m so glad to see all of you.”

Omera pulled off her helmet and grinned as Petra walked up to give her and the baby a hug. The child squealed delightedly at a familiar presence and as Petra pulled Omera close she was suddenly aware of a glaring new addition. She stepped back and covered her mouth in surprise as she looked at Omera’s baby bump and then back at her with wide eyes.

“Um, yeah,” Omera said with a grin. “We kind of have some news.”

“Congratulations you two! I’m so happy for you both!” Petra exclaimed happily.

“Thank you,” Din replied with a soft smile.

“Now, not that I’m not happy you waited and told me in person but surely you didn’t come all the way out here to tell me your big news. What’s going on?”

“It’s a long story, but we were hoping you could help. Did the armorer from my old Tribe make it here?”

Petra nodded. “She’s been so great for the village and everyone loves her.”

“Good. Good. I think you two can help us,” Din replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned for more. As always, comments are appreciated and make me smile :)


	4. East of Eden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Omera get some help from some old friends and the cracks in their marriage start to show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! Apologies for getting this out so late! Life has been craaaaaaazy! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! Just a brief reminder there are some characters from my previous series in case you're just coming into this. Hope you love it!

Din, Omera, and Petra donned their helmets once more after their reunion had concluded before following Petra, who chattered excitedly as she led the couple and baby through the village to a large building. Unlike the other buildings in the village, this one was reinforced with steel and smoke was swirling out of a chimney at the top. Rather than a door, the front part of the building was open, allowing the newcomers to peer inside. Din could hear the comforting sound of the hammer striking metal and he visibly perked up.

“I brought visitors!” Petra announced as they entered the blacksmith. The familiar and golden helm turned to look at them through the owl-eyed visor.

“It’s good to see you, Din,” the Armorer said. There was a hint of joy in her otherwise deadpan voice. She turned to greet the small family. “I see your family has expanded. Did you ever find your foundling’s family?

“We did. Briggs, a senator from Coruscant wiped them out and threatened us. We’re hunting him down and putting a stop to it.”

“I see,” the Armorer replied cooly as she walked up to Omera. “You are with child.”

“Yes,” Omera replied with a hint of shyness. There was something about the gold helmeted figure that intimidated her. “About five months along.”

“Congratulations are in order then.” In an unusual show of affection, the Armorer touched Omera’s shoulder lightly. “I imagine you have come seeking a way to protect yourself and the life inside you from the Senator’s attacks. Your needs are a unique challenge, but I shall work to craft armor that will accommodate your changing form.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Omera said gratefully. An invisible weight had been lifted off the shoulders of both husband and wife.

“I’ll get to work immediately. I’ll need you to stay here so I can take measurements.”

Din turned to Omera. “Go ahead, darling. Petra and I will catch up while you’re getting fitted.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later,” Omera replied and watched as her husband left the blacksmith with Petra before turning to the Armorer and readying herself for the process to come.

***************

Din and Petra walked in silence for a bit until the blacksmith was out of view. The baby in Din’s arms babbled happily, excited to be out in the fresh air for a change, and seemed to know that he was in the company of friends. His father, however, was quiet and as expressionless as the steel that covered him. Petra expected as much from him. He’d always been a man of few words and it was clear even time as a family man hadn’t changed that. At last, he spoke up.

“I didn’t have a chance to congratulate you on your recent rise in the ranks. I always knew you’d become the Alor.”

Petra blushed beneath her helm. “Thank you. It’s an honor, and one I still don’t think I deserve.”

“That’s ridiculous. No one is more dedicated to The Way than you. I can tell your numbers have nearly tripled since I was last here.”

“You’ve got a sharp eye, Djarin. We are slowly expanding our forces and gathering research. I’m primarily focusing on terra-rehabilitation.”

“That’s an interesting route to take,” Din said curiously.

“Well, the ultimate goal is to rebuild Mandalore so we’ve got to start from the ground up, literally.”

“Well, congratulations. I’m proud of the work you’ve done. You’ve served our people proudly.”

The pair came to a large fallen log in the forest a few yards away from the village and sat. He sighed as he looked up at the forest canopy for a moment, enjoying the respite from the stress of the past few months. There was something calming and serene about the misty forest surrounding them and he felt at peace here, protected among friends. Petra searched the steel covering his face for any indication of his emotions. There seemed to be something weighing heavily on him.

“So what about you? Other than the new baby on the way, anything new going on?”

Din sighed and fiddled with his hands for a moment. “Last few months have been-” He broke off with an embarrassed sigh.

“It’s alright, Djarin. We’re friends remember? You’ve opened up about stuff to me before.” She gave him a friendly nudge.

Din sighed. “These last few months have been difficult. Between the kid and the constant threat on our lives from this Senator we’ve gotten tangled up with and the new baby I just feel-“ he stopped, unable to come up with a word to describe how he felt.

“Pinned down?” Petra offered.

“Yeah.”

Petra gave Din a side glance. She chose her next words carefully. “How are things between you and your wife?”

“They’re fine,” Din said a little too quickly.

“Din,” Petra chided.

“Things have….we’ve uh…” Petra could tell it was a challenge for Din to articulate his feelings. The words were simply not in his repertoire. “We’ve had a bit of a disconnect.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. She feels distant from me. I feel like we’re heading for something really bad and I know we need to fix it. I just don’t know how.” 

He looked over at her and despite the steel, she could tell there was a hint of expectancy in his posture like he might be waiting for her to say something. She realized he was looking to her for advice, seeking counsel from a friend.

“It sounds like you two need to take some time and really talk this out. You’ve been going non-stop for months. You gotta know Omera’s carrying a lot on her shoulders physically. I don’t even want to unpack what she’s dealing with mentally.”

“And I promised her I would be there to help her through all of this.”

“And I’m sure you have Din. You’re a good man. You always do the right thing. But at the end of the day, she’s still the one carrying this child.”

Din sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I know this hasn’t been easy for her. I know it hasn’t. This wasn’t exactly how I wanted this to go. But if she can hang on a little bit longer, I can make sure our family is safe once and for all.”

“Then you need to _communicate_ that Din. She loves you, and she’s a smart girl. I think if you vocalize this and listen to what she needs you’ll find everything will right itself.

***************

The measurements only took a few minutes. The Armorer had spent most of her life doing this and her movements were swift and executed with adeptness. Soon after she was melting down Omera’s old chest plate and infusing it with Beskar reserve to begin forming her new suit. Omera, now free of all her armor except her helmet was quiet as she watched the melodic rhythm of the Armorer pounding away with her hammer, lost in her own thoughts.

“You are weighed down by something,” the Armorer observed.

“No. Just tired and thinking I guess,” Omera replied, caught off guard by the otherwise quiet woman’s comment.

“We are bound together by our Creed, Omera Djarin. You are free to seek advice or comfort if you need it. You are undergoing big changes. It’s good to free your mind.” The question wasn’t coming from a hardened Mandalorian. It was coming from a woman who was checking up on the wellbeing of another.

“It’s been a challenge being pregnant and being on the move constantly,” Omera confessed after a minute.

“Are you feeling well? Mara will be happy to look you over.”

“I’m alright. Fatigued mostly. Sometimes sore. Thank goodness the morning sickness is gone. I don’t want to be a bother. I know Din is under a lot of stress.”

“How has he been handling this?” The Armorer asked as she poured the molten steel into a cast.

“He’s…” Omera trailed off and let out a frustrated sigh.

“You are free to speak, Omera. It is just us here.”

“It hasn’t felt normal between us since this whole thing with Briggs started. I feel like we’re on different pages. There’s this…space between us. We’ve hardly talked. No time for intimacy. I feel like I don’t know him anymore. He’s becoming this-“ she paused, looking for the right word. “Machine.” It was silent for a moment and Omera clasped her hands together. She felt shame burning her face. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t mean to complain and throw my problems at you.”

“You are pregnant and under a lot of stress. It’s alright to release these feelings.”

Omera felt her eyes burning with tears. “I don’t know what to do. I know we are in danger, even before Din felt like he needed to take out Briggs and his entourage one by one Briggs was hanging over us. But, I feel like he’s shutting me out.”

The Armorer nodded. “Din use to be a very different man before you before he met his foundling even. He has always felt the need to shoulder everything himself. And sometimes he can get so fixated on a task he shuts down to the things around him.” She paused and looked at Omera. “I know he loves you. I can sense the strength of the bond you two have. Express these feelings to him, and tell him how you’re feeling. I have watched him transform from the scared foundling he was into a man who will always fight to do what’s right. And he will fight for you. I have faith in that.”

Omera nodded, turning the advice over in her mind as the Armorer resumed her work.

***************

There was still plenty of work to be done on Omera’s armor by the time the sun went down and at Petra’s insistence Din, Omera, and the child spent the night. The little family was put up in a spare two-bedroom hut in the village. They had supper together as a family and soon the baby was put down in his cradle with a full belly. His big eyes blinked sleepily at his father and he let out a soft coo before he pulled the blanket covering him closer and let his eyes drift closed. Din couldn’t help but smile at his sleeping son before he silently left the room, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the conversation ahead. He walked into the living room where his wife was sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for him. He sat beside her.

“How was your day?” He asked awkwardly.

“It was good,” Omera replied, feeling just as awkward. “And yours? Did you and Petra catch up?”

“Yeah.” Din cleared his throat. “We talked about some things.”

For a moment Omera found herself shocked. His words had struck a nerve. “Wait, you talked to Petra about “things”? You can’t tell me things but you can tell her?”

“Come on, Omera. You know it’s not like that. I’ve told you things.”

“Yeah, Din. Emphasis on the word _told_. You haven’t been telling me what’s been going on lately.You didn’t tell me you were in some high-speed chase, with police no less, and threw yourself off a skyscraper…twice! I’ve begged you to open up and tell me things.”

“Omera, I have told you everything. I didn’t tell you about that because I didn’t think you needed to know. I am doing everything I can to protect you, protect our family.”

“This is becoming so dangerous, Din. Look at yourself! If you’d been shot any closer and that blaster round could have stopped your heart, or broken your sternum and sent pieces into your heart.”

“I don’t have a choice! Don’t you get that? We will be hunted down and it will never stop until they have what they want. There is no escaping. There is no outrunning. Believe me, I know.”

“We can find a way. We’ll go somewhere far away. We can leave Sorgan, take our family, and just go. Because I don’t think I can do this, Din. I don’t think I can take another four months of this shit!”

“There’s no escaping. Why can’t you just take my word for it?” Any advice Petra had given him had gone completely out the window and the stress from the last few months was coming to a head.

“And why are you so fucking stubborn? Why do you insist on having to control everything?” Omera was feeling enraged. They were both on their feet now, squaring off to each other.

“Why are you so fucking ignorant?”

“Excuse me?” Omera felt his words go straight through her heart.

“You think the whole world works like the farm and it doesn’t. It’s vicious and cruel and unforgiving out there.”

“Do you hear yourself? Do you hear the hatred coming out of your mouth? I don’t even recognize you! You’ve turned into this cold hateful person, one that I absolutely can’t stand!”

The minute the words left her mouth she regretted them but her good sense had shut off and her emotions were in full throttle. In the next moment, she was throwing herself at him, whether to hit him or kiss him she hadn’t quite made up her mind. He stopped her, holding her firmly by the shoulders and his dark eyes pierce through hers. They were filled with rage and frustration.

And then everything was a blur. His lips were crashing against hers in a heated, filthy kiss as she ripped his shirt open and pushed it off his toned shoulders. Time seemed to skip as her consciousness filtered in and out. His lips were trailing along her neck as her breath stuttered and then he was picking her up in his strong arms. Omera’s legs wrapped instinctively around his waist while he carried her to their bedroom and closed the door. She felt his hardness pressing against her and a craving unlike anything she’d ever experienced overtook her. Din laid her out on the bed and it was all over. The defenses were down and she was powerless against him. He was yanking her clothes off roughly and squeezing her breasts as her nails raked across his back. She was pulling his hair as his tongue worked magic between her legs and then in a snap their places were switched and his soft moans were fueling the fire in her belly. She felt her hands close lightly around his neck as he gripped her hips with a bruising force and thrust into her. He was in full control despite the fact that she was currently straddling his slim hips. Everything was a mix of grunts and moans and sweat as they worked out their tension and frustration. She couldn’t mask her cry as she climaxed and the very sight of her caused him to cry out hoarsely and hold her so tightly she thought she would break. A burning warmth filled her and she slumped against him. Reveling in the pleasant throbbing inside her. They didn’t say anything. There was nothing left to be said. Din wrapped his arms around her and carded his fingers through her long, dark hair and they passed the rest of the night in reflective silence until bit by bit they dropped off to sleep.

************

Din and Petra were up with the sun the next morning. Mimban had served them well, and they were ready to leave, feeling that they were equipped to take on the world a little better now. Despite their vicious words to each other last night, both husband and wife felt like they had fixed their rocky relationship. At her prompting, Petra ensured Omera was given a check-up by Mara, her sister, and village medic while Din made sure he had provisions packed for their journey. The Armorer arrived with Omera’s armor polished and ready to go.

“It was an interesting challenge, but the abdominal part of the suit is made from thin, yet resistant beskar plates that will extend as the baby grows. She’ll be protected and still be able to move freely and comfortably,” she explained.

“Thank you,” Din replied. The steel over his face was expressionless but she could hear the genuine appreciation in his voice.

They heard approaching footsteps and they turned to see Mara and Omera approaching. Din wished he could see his wife’s expression under her helm.

“Well? Everything good?” He asked with a touch of anxiousness.

“Yep. Mother and child are doing good and are both healthy. You’ve got a strong woman here,” Mara said and Omera bowed her head slightly in thanks. The Armorer walked up to Omera with her new armor.

“This should adequately protect you and your child. It was an honor to shape our Beskar for such a noble cause. Wear it proudly, Omera Djarin.”

Omera looked at the shiny new chest plate with aw for a moment before taking it from the Armorer. Swiftly she put it on and snapped it into place feeling the spiritual ritual of fitting the rest of her armor into their appropriate places, once more protected by the hallowed steel. A bit of relief settled in her as she felt the protective layer fit snuggly against her abdomen, shielding the tiny life inside.

“It’s perfect. Thank you,” Omera said, once more bowing her head in gratitude and respect.

The Armorer returned the gesture before turning to Din. “When your foundling is ready and if he so desires, come back and I shall form him his own helmet that he may walk in our Ways.”

Din nodded. “Thank you. Thank you for everything. It was good to come and see you all. You have done so much for my family.”

Petra strolled up to Din. “Don’t be a stranger. You and your family are always welcome.” She pulled him into a hug. “Protect your wife and son. They love you so much,” she murmured to him before letting go and turning to hug Omera goodbye. “Take care of yourself. I’ll look forward to meeting the newest member of your family when the time comes.”

“Of course. Take care Petra,” Omera replied, returning the hug before they broke away.

The couple started to leave the outskirts of the village with their founding looking over his father’s shoulder and giving the Mandalorians a happy wave goodbye.

Din couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief when the couple arrived back at their ships that were still in one piece. Cara was sitting guard on the open ramp of the _Razorcrest_ and got to her feet immediately when she heard them approaching.

“There you two are. How was everything?”

“Good,” Din replied. “Did you get the coordinates to our next target?”

“Yeah. We’re headed to Tatooine. Thankfully far away from any major cities,” Cara replied.

“Probably best. We don’t need any more heat after what happened with Apollo. Best to stay on the Outer Rim for now.” 

“Well, this guy is nice and secluded.”

“Hutt?” Din asked as he started to board the _Crest_ with Cara and Omera following behind.

“No. Klatoonian. As far as caliber goes he’s a lot like Ninx was, just less glamorous. He primarily runs Black Market operations and Smuggling rings.” 

Din sat in the pilot’s seat, passed off the baby to Omera, and flicked on the bounty puck. A holograph of a fierce-looking Klatoonian projected into the air and Din studied it. “Impressive military background,” he observed as he read the information the puck provided. “Jafan Tane. I believe I recall stories of his days on the battlefield during the Clone Wars. I suppose he hasn’t quite given up his glory days as a general.”

“Not likely. From what I understand the outer parts of Tatooine are overrun with vicious warlords and militias.”

“Hmmmmm. He’s probably providing Briggs with his security detail and muscle. Well, Jafan Tane, it would seem your career is about to come to an end. Let’s go ahead and let Sei and Sala know we’ll be heading there next and get moving.” Din turned to face his wife, who was standing by holding their son. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel good. You heard Mara. Everything looks good.”

“Good. Now that you have armor that will protect you and our child, if you feel up to it, I could really use you on the field as a sniper. I know the Armorer did an excellent job and I have confidence you’ll be safe.

Omera nodded eagerly. “Yes. I’m ready to get back out there with you and help.”

“Can you handle the pulse rifle?”

“Just as well as you can,” his wife replied and Din could almost picture her smirk under her helmet.

“Good. Between you, me, and Cara, we should make short work of him,” Din said before turning to the controls and starting launch protocols.

Omera took the baby and climbed down into the hull below. For the first time in months, she felt like things were relatively normal. It felt alright between her and her husband and perhaps everything would be ok. They would finish this nasty business with Briggs and they would be able to go home, be a family, and welcome this new little life into the world safe and sound. There was a soft rumbling sound as the _Razorcrest_ rumbled towards its next destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate it. As always, rate, review, and let me know if I should continue!


	5. The Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din's fighting skills are put to the test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone! so sorry this took a bit. Work is absolutely killing me. Hope you're all enjoying this. I'm trying to find ways to make it better/more interesting so if there is something more you'd like to see just let me know! Enjoy!

“Thank the stars for these tracking fobs,” Cara commented as they landed on stark, Tatooine desert.

“Don’t get your hopes up. We don’t know what’s here and we don’t know what we’re walking into. I don’t want another replay of what happened with Apollo. We’re going to go about this differently this time.” 

“What’s the plan? Omera asked as she finished the landing protocols.

“We’re not going into this blind. We’ll wait until morning then we’ll go out, scout around and see what we can dig up. If we can get a vantage point on Tane we can make short work of this,” Din replied. Omera and Cara nodded. The baby babbled at their feet and Din bent down to pick him up.

  
“Din. You there?” Sei’s voice announced over the commlink and Din turned to answer it.

“Copy that. Have you landed?”

“We’re about ten feet from the ground but there appear to be several cruisers headed towards you. I’d say fifteen or twenty.”

Din felt his gut sink as he looked out the massive, curved windshield of the _Razorcrest._ Flicking on his infrared view, he could indeed see a heard of cruisers heading their way in the breaking dawn, kicking up dust in their wake. Without hesitation, he sprung into action.

He pressed the commlink button. “Sei, get to Mos Eisley now. You’ll be safe. You’re not wanted there. We’ve got this.” He turned to Omera and Cara. “Get down below, arm yourselves, and lock the kid away so he’s safe.”

“What about you?” Omera asked.

“I’m going to take out as many as I can; try and even our chances,” He replied before handing the Child to her and sitting in the pilot’s seat.

Omera yearned to stay with him, or insist that he come with them but she knew now was not the time to play housewife. They were under attack and she was going to hold the line alongside her husband. This would require everyone to do their part. She took the long-eared baby who had started whimpering as he sensed the tension in the cockpit, and climbed down to the hull below.

“Leave the long-range for me,” Omera reminded as she opened the large supply closet and placed the baby inside. He whimpered fearfully at her. “I know Little One. It’s just to keep you safe,” she reassured. Looking into his large, terrified eyes, she felt a twinge of guilt and spared a minute more to grab his blue blanket out of his crib and tuck it into the closet along with one of his stuffed frogs before closing the door and locking it. He would be safe and they could now focus on protecting themselves.

While Omera and Cara were scrambling to prepare themselves down below Din fired up the _Crest’s_ cannons. There was no probable way to get them all at once, but he could at least pick off a few. With careful aim, Din fired. His shots rang true and a few of the oncoming cruisers were caught up in the blast and exploded. The cruisers who were fortunate enough to escape dodged the blowback from the explosion and continued their trajectory towards the ship. Din was able to pick off a few more before the cruisers were out of range for the cannons and skidded to a halt at the entrance to the hull. He took that as his cue to abandon the cockpit and get down to fight with the others.

Sliding down the ladder, he landed beside Cara, who handed him his pulse rifle. His blaster was already primed and strapped at his hip as he took the rifle and checked the charges. There was a loud screeching at the entrance ramp and all three turned to see sparks flying as the intruders outside started to cut through the steel.

“We can’t let them hack their way in here. We’re taking the fight to them. Omera,” he said as he turned to his wife. “Cara and I are going to come out hot and create a distraction. I want you to light out of here and get to the highest vantage point. Don’t look back we’ll cover you. Once you get there you can start sniping them.”

She gave him a sharp nod and gripped the sniper rifle in both hands, ready to run when it was time. Din pressed the button on his bracer to lower the loading ramp. He was coiled and ready to go.

“Cara now!” Din cried as he plunged towards the loading ramp. He slid through the gap the ramp created and plunged into the ring of armed men outside.

Blaster shots started flying as Din took out warrior after warrior. More shots rang out behind him and he spared a glance backward to see Cara and Omera burst from the _Crest_ and charge into the fight. He fired shots at the warriors that looked like they would be the biggest threat to his wife who was running like hell for the dunes. The twin suns were cresting over the horizon and she needed to get to a good vantage point before the desert was lit up with the morning light.

A sudden tightness pulled around his neck and he was yanked backward as his breath was suddenly cut off. There was a wicked chuckle close behind him and upon searching the cowl around his neck he found a steel cord that was pulled tight. The man behind him was intending to choke the life out of him. Din slammed his head back and he heard the undeniable sound of steel hitting bone. The pressure around his neck eased and he turned to shoot the thug behind him without a second thought before whipping around to search for Omera. In the scuffle, he’d lost sight of her and now she was nowhere to be found.

There was a shout to his left and Din was suddenly knocked off his feet with the swing of a heavy club. He grunted as he landed in the dirt and his blaster was knocked out of his hand. He barely had a chance to protect himself before the growling warrior standing above him brought the club down. Din blocked the blow with his bracer but he still felt the pain of the blow under the steel. Undeterred, the massive thug wound back to hit him again when a shot fired from somewhere in the distance, hitting the warrior in the neck and causing him to collapse dead on the ground. Din jumped to his feet as he smiled to himself. He knew he could count on Omera.

“What is this?!” Cara called to Din as she threw a punch at one attacker and shot another with her blaster.

“Seems like Briggs arranged a welcoming party,” Din replied, lighting his blow torch and blasting a column of fire at a wall of oncoming attackers.

Between Din and Cara fighting in close combat, and Omera picking off attackers from a distance, soon the last combatant had been cut down. Both Din and Cara were panting with exertion but were satisfied with their work. Cara slapped Din on the back triumphantly as Din switched on the commlink on his bracer.

“Nice work, love. You did great,” he said to Omera over the link.

Omera felt herself blush a little from her spot on a rocky outcropping not far from where they had landed. That was a quick job. Granted, she’d had to settle in an awkward position to avoid laying directly on her belly like she’d done previously when she practiced sniping but all things considered, she’d proven to be an excellent shot. She was starting to push herself up when she heard the roar of engines and ducked down again. A sail barge was approaching. It was the biggest cruiser Omera had ever seen. This certainly spelled trouble.

On the ground, Din and Cara heard the cruiser approach and squared up, ready for round two. The cruiser came to a stop roughly a hundred yards from where they stood and its large frame cast a large shadow over the Mandalorian and shock trooper in the morning light. For a moment, everything was silent and still. It was highly unsettling. Then, with a hiss, the barge’s exit ramp lowered and a being exited. Even in the pale light, Din picked on an air of arrogance and superiority in the strut, and then the figure was stepping into the light. 

“Jafan Tane,” Din growled. He should have known Briggs would send a welcoming party.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Din Djarin.” Din half-flinched at the sound of his real name rolling off the tongue of an enemy.

“Like-wise. I assume Briggs has got you up to speed?”

“Oh quite so. I feel as if I already know you,” the Klatoonian sneered. To the naked eye, it appeared that the chest plat and pauldrons he wore were made of flimsy leather but Din knew otherwise. The armor he wore was made out of razor-thin metal fibers woven together to form a thin and flexible yet durable vest that held all the integrity of steel, and yet allowed its wearers to ventilate and move freely. It was a standard uniform among outlaws and warlords. A pair of goggles pushed up on his forehead and twin rifles strapped to his back completed Tane’s look. He was fearsome indeed.

“Well then you know that I don’t like wasting my time,” Din snarled as he aimed his blaster at Tane.

The Klatoonian shook his head. “So uncivilized. I may be nothing more than an Outer Rim warlord, but I still have a touch of class.”

He strolled closer and Din’s grip tightened around the stock of his blaster. The tension was so thick in the air it was hard to breathe. Even from her vantage point, she could see how poised for action her husband was.

“Come now Mandalorian. You’re a man of honor. It would be unfair for you to fight me with firearms. You are covered in steel and while my armor has done its job it hardly holds a candle to yours. I'd be cut down in seconds while you would barely get a scratch.”

“You threatened my family,” Din growled.

“My _associate_ threatened your family,” Tane corrected. “Come now. I’ve heard the stories of your people. You are skilled warriors in everything, including hand to hand combat. If you are as skilled as you claim, come put them to the test against me.”

“What makes you think I won’t just shoot you down right now?”

“Because I have collateral.” Din heard a baby cry and his heart dropped straight to his stomach.

“Din, they found the kid,” Cara supplied so that he didn’t have to turn around and leave the enemy unchecked.

“The choice is yours. Face me in combat or your foundling meets an untimely end,” Tane offered.

Din sighed. Whatever this Klatoonian had up his sleeve, it didn’t matter. His son’s life was in the balance and all bets were off. Reluctantly he flicked the safety on his blaster and set it on the desert floor followed by his pulse rifle. In response, Tane pulled his twin blasters from the holsters on either hip and set them down as well as the rifles on his back.

“Let’s have a good clean fight. Winner takes all,” Tane said as he squared up. Din squared up as well, ready for how this was going to play out.

There was a moment in which both men stood face to face, calculating, and observing. It was a quick mental strategy session as they ran through every possible move, outcome, and weakness. And then they were clashing in a flurry of flying fists and feet. Din had to admit, he’d fought many opponents over the years; some skilled and some not so skilled. Tane was far more adept at fighting than he estimated and he found the Klatoonian was anticipating his every move and keeping him on his toes.

“You’re thinking too much, Mandalorian. Come on these are rookie mistakes,” Tane taunted as he dodged a punch Din threw and slammed his elbow into his side just below the beskar.

Din hissed and faked a punch which Tane dodged, much to Din’s anticipation, and while the Klatoonian was off balance he swept his leg and knocked him off his feet.

“You’re learning!” The Klatoonian laughed as he got to his feet. On his way up, he discretely pulled a vibroblade from his boot.

Omera was watching the fight through her scope and spotted an unmistakable glint in the new morning light. Calmly she lined up her sights. Back on the ground, everything happened so swiftly, at first, it was difficult to tell. There was a glint as Tane raised his hand over his head, a loud clang, and then the vibroblade was clattering to the sand as Tane cried out and gripped his hand. He growled through clenched teeth as he sneered at Din.

“Your sniper is an excellent shot. It appears she called my bluff.”

“She knows how to spot a liar,” Din retorted as he dove for Tane and tackled him into the sand.

The fighting ramped up in intensity and the men were holding no punches now. Din could feel his enemy tiring but so was he. He needed to stay sharp if he was going to win this. Tane wrapped his legs around his torso and twisted violently, flipping Din onto his back. The Klatoonian cackled as he grabbed Din’s neck and started to squeeze.

Omera, never taking her eyes off her husband, even after she shot the blade out of Tane’s hand, gasped in horror as she saw the Klatoonian choking Din out. Simultaneously, there was a soft flutter in her belly. She almost missed it but it was undeniable. Sitting up she rested her hands on the small swell of her stomach and felt the tiny kick again. The baby _their_ baby was making itself known while its father was getting closer and closer to death on the ground below. It was so painfully ironic tears filled her eyes and she moved to line up another shot.

That shot would prove unnecessary. Din could feel his vision graying as he gasped and struggled for air. The Klatoonian laughed.

“After I’m done here, I’m going to kill your friend, your son, and then I think I’m going to take that pretty little wife of yours as plunder for my troubles. After all, that’s been my whole career.” 

In a surge of strength, Din managed to pry Tane’s off of his neck and shove him off. Rage filled him at the thought of this slimy outlaw laying even a finger on his family. He landed on top of Tane and, grabbing his head, began to punch him over and over. Din threw all of his strength into every punch, pounding the wicked face. A primal feeling overtook him, one he hadn’t felt since he ceased to be a bounty hunter as he slammed Tane’s head relentlessly.

Omera could see all of this unfolding in her scope and she felt sick as she watcher her husband beating Tane’s face to a pulp with animal-like ferocity. She’d never seen him lose control like this and it was frightening to behold. She felt the tiny flutter in her belly again and swallowed down the nausea she was feeling.

Din might have kept beating Tane until his strength gave out but as he wound up to hit him again, a strong hand caught his arm in a firm grip and he was pulled away from the dead Klatoonian. It was Cara.

“Din! Din stop look!” Cara screamed.

The buzzing in his ears died down just as the unmistakable sound of a ship taking off echoed over the dunes. Din turned and saw to his horror the _Razorcrest_ was lifting into the sky. The kid and Tane’s thug who’d been holding him were nowhere to be seen.

“No!” Din cried as he jumped up and sprinted a couple of steps but the ship was too high now as was flying away from their location. Looking around, Din saw the other barge that had shown up earlier was gone too. In his distraction, he hadn’t noticed it leave. Now that their leader was dead, it appeared the remaining of Tane's allies felt it was smarter to retreat to their stronghold, but not without taking something from him. He was panting and forced himself to swallow the panic he was feeling as he tried to clear his head.

“Where did they take him?” Cara asked.

“Probably back to Tane’s base. We have to follow him now. We have to get him back. Radio Sei and Sala!” Din barked before switching on his commlink. “Omera come on. They took the kid. We have to get him now before they turn him over to Briggs or kill him.”

Din couldn’t stop pacing and grabbed the sides of his helmet as he forced himself to stay calm. They would hunt the _Crest_ down and he would get his foundling back if it took everything he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! You know I'm a sucker for a good cliffie. As always, rate and review!


	6. No Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Omera reflect on their time on Tatooine and the gang receives a disturbing message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! Back with another chapter! This one is a wee bit short and kind of a filler but it's setting up good things, I promise. Also, how much are we loving season 2????? I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I made a few callbacks to my fic To Die A Colossus. Apologies to those who didn't read the series before this one and have no idea what I'm talking about.

Finding the base had been easy thanks to the tracking beacon Din had on the _Crest_ that was linked to the bracer on his arm. Sei and Sala had come to their aid as soon as they were contacted and provided transport from the scene of the fight to the direction of the stolen ship.

Din had them land a good distance away from where his beacon was indicating and instructed them to stay on the ship. As of now, it didn’t seem like they were being targeted and they certainly were wanted for murder like he and Cara were. It made more sense to continue to protect them within the confines of a spaceship. After leaving them with instructions to be ready to take off as soon as he told them to, Din, accompanied by Cara and Omera started on their trek.

Sei and Sala’s ship had long since been out of sight by the time they discovered a sprawling, tan-colored fortress built into the side of a towering, rocky outcropping. Din’s tracker was on the fritz and he knew they’d found the right place. He turned to the two women accompanying him.

“Ok, we’re going to get in, move fast, and get out with the kid, and my ship. Stay sharp,” he said and they nodded.

In the end, rescuing the kid and retaking the _Razorcrest_ wasn’t difficult. With Tane gone, Din found it unbelievably easy to infiltrate the base, take out the tiny militia inside with Cara and Omera’s help and retrieve his son. The poor baby had been stuffed into a cage so small he had to hunch over and his big ears stuck out of the bars. For the second time that day, Din grabbed the nearest thug and pounded the ever-living shit out of him until he was dead. For the second time that day, Omera had to watch her husband unleash a ferocity that she’d only seen one other time; when he was being controlled by the empire. After the baby had been freed, they made a hasty retreat back to Sei and Sala. Cara pulled up their next location and the small family left Tatooine and all their destruction in the dust.

Omera sat armor-less, but not helmet-less beside her husband in the cockpit, watching silently as he piloted the ship. Cara was sitting in the jump seat behind them snoozing away. She couldn’t help but study him. His gloves were off and she noticed his knuckles were bruised and bloodied from punching the hell out of Tane. Her eyes traveled from his hands to his helmet. There was a thin, nearly invisible seam in it. The only reason Omera knew it existed was because she’d stared at it a million times. The seam was formed when his helmet had been fused back together once after their war against Moff Gideon. It had shattered on the left side and was a constant reminder that she’d almost lost him that day and she was terrified she was going to lose him again the longer he pursued this vendetta. A tiny bump from within her belly made her jump with a small gasp.

“Din! Din the baby!”

“What? What!” His voice sounded concerned.

“It kicked! I forgot to tell you, it kicked earlier today. But it’s kicking again!” She took his hands into hers and pressed them against her belly.

Din waited with bated breath when he suddenly felt a tiny flutter against his hands. He looked into his wife’s visor and he could almost picture the look of joy on her face. It would match the tone of joy in her voice. The baby kicked again.

“Whoa! We’ve got a strong one in there,” Din chuckled. “Where’s the kid? He should feel this.”

“Don’t wake him,” Omera chided jokingly, her fear forgotten. “He’s tuckered out after his day.”

“Yeah,” Din replied, recalling all the kid had undergone since they landed on Tatooine. A slow and steady panic started to fill him. He’d slipped up today.

He let himself get distracted by Tane and his son had been put in danger. The sight of him curled up shivering and afraid in that tiny cage had made him angry then, but it made him absolutely sick now. He felt the little life fluttering and bumping against his hands and suddenly there was bile pushing up his throat. He swallowed it down, wincing at the burn it caused.

“Hey, I’m going to hit the refresher,” he said as he withdrew his hands and tried to keep his voice steady. “I’ll be right back.”

She nodded and sat back in her seat as he left the cockpit and slid down to the hull on the ladder. The second he was safely out of view he ripped off his helmet and took some gasping pulls for air. He could feel the sweat dripping down the back of his neck and there was a slight tremor in his hands. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get himself under control. There was a buzzing in his ears and his vision was tunneling. Shakily, he say on the floor and forced himself to try and take some deep, cleansing breaths. It wasn’t working. He’d failed. He’d screwed up today. It was the kid this time, but what if it was his wife the next time? His beautiful, incredible, and amazing wife who was currently pregnant with their child. He wasn’t just putting her life at risk, he was putting someone who had no say in the matter at risk. He had to be better, faster, stronger. He couldn’t let his guard down, not even for a moment. He could _never_ let his enemies get on top of him like that again. He wasn’t just fighting for his life, he was fighting for three others. No matter the cost, no matter what he had to do, he would never let someone harm his family again. The tremors and shaking had subsided and his breathing had slowed to a relatively normal pace. The panic attack had left him feeling utterly drained. Getting up, he walked to the refresher and flipped on the tap to the tiny sink. A wince marred his face as he stuck his swollen knuckles under the stream. The same hands that had taken two lives today had also felt the stirrings of new life, the life of his child. It was tragically ironic. Splashing some of the water on his face to wash away the sweat, he looked himself over once more before shutting off the tap and turning to exit the refresher. He came face to face with his wife, now helmetless.

“Omera?”

“You were taking a while so I let Cara take the wheel. I wanted to come make sure you’re alright.”

“I’m alright. Got caught up checking on the kid and making sure he was ok.” That was the first bald-faced lie he’d ever told his wife.

She nodded and took his bruised hand into her. She kissed the heated skin gently. “Does it hurt?”

“Not so much anymore. Trust me, I’ve had much worse.”

She nodded as she wandered over to the crib where the little green baby was sleeping peacefully he walked up behind her and put an arm around her shoulder.

“He probably needs a real name, you know, since he’s permanently our son. We can’t just keep calling him the Kid,” she commented as she tucked his blue blanket around him. He chuckled softly.

“I guess you’re right. Especially since we have another one on the way. Any thoughts?”

She thought for a moment. “Gideon?” He shot her a look so fast and she couldn’t help but smirk. “I’m teasing, Love.”

He smirked back at her and turned to look at the baby sleeping. “Wh-what about Caben?”

“Caben?”

Din nodded. “Feels like we should honor his memory somehow, especially since it was my fault he died.” Omera could hear the sadness in his voice. Even after a year, Din’s time as the Empire’s personal pet still haunted him.

“I think that’s a lovely idea. It will honor his memory well. He’ll have to grow into that name though. He’s still so small and cute,” she replied and a small smile tugged at his lips. The little baby indeed was cute as he snoozed peacefully with his frog wrapped tightly in his little arm. It was as if today’s events had never happened.

“You remember what Little One is in Mando’a?”

She thought for a moment and then a smile crossed her lips as she nodded. “ _Ad’ika_.”

“Good.” He reached out and took the baby’s little hand between his thumb and index finger. Despite being sound asleep, the little grasp closed around his father’s fingers. “I called him that sometimes, back when it was just him and me.”

“He’ll always be our ad’ika,” she said as she rested her head against Din’s shoulder, feeling content and safe in the warm embrace of their family.

Din felt the same warmth, and an almost feral mentality was born from it. Until his dying breath, he would fight tooth and nail to protect his family. They were depending on him to do so.

***************

“Din! Omera! You need to get up here and see this!” Cara called from the cockpit. They had been traveling for nearly two weeks as they headed to their next destination and for the most part, life had settled into a predictable and simple routine. The fully armored Mandalorians climbed up the ladder and entered the cockpit where a pale-faced Cara was seated in the captain’s chair. Din felt his blood run cold when he saw Briggs’ face on a hologram projection.

“What’s that?” He demanded.

“The latest press release from Coruscant. Karga sent it to me. You need to listen.”She rewound the video and pressed play.

_People of Coruscant, and Denon, and now Tatooine. It has come to my attention that there is a gang of terrorists, murders, who have come to your planets to kill, destroy, and pillage. Denon in particular lost a great man. Apollo Dune was a philanthropist, did charity work for the homeless, and was a close friend of mine. The community will feel his absence acutely. As for the devils responsible for these destructive and treacherous deeds, they will not be tolerated by the laws of the New Republic. The senate and I have pushed for immediate discovery and termination of these criminals so that may never take another innocent life. Members of law enforcement from every system have courageously formed a task force that will aid the New Republic in their hunt. We will not rest until they are found. In the meantime, if you have any information on these vicious criminals and their whereabouts send immediate correspondence to the Coruscant senate. We will be standing by to take down your information. We have fought hard for peace, and will not let that be threatened by scum and villainy._

Din and Omera watched in horror as their images flashed onto the screen. They were all there, including Sei and Sala. The transmission ended and Cara turned to the speechless Mandalorians.

“What are we going to do?” Cara asked, her voice had a slight tremor in it.

“We need to find information on Briggs that will expose him. We must. We’re wanted now, all of us. There will be no rest. We will always be on the run if we don’t expose this monster,” Din stated before looking at Cara. “Where are we headed next?”

“Trask.”

“Good. Change our trajectory so that we don’t land in the major port. We travel discretely on foot from now on.”

“Copy that,” Cara said before turning back to the controls.

Omera couldn’t stop staring at their picture on the holograph as pure fear filled her. They were in too deep now. There was no going back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you caught my "A New Hope" obi-wan quote. As always, rate and review!


	7. The High Seas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stakes get higher as Clan Djarin meets trouble on the high seas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! I'm so sorry it took so long to update this but I'm back! I really hope it was worth the wait. Took a bit of the scene from season 2 where Din very nearly drowned. I think a lot of us whump writers were inspired. Still got the 'rona but I'm taking care of myself and trying to get better. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

_Din, please! Please help me please! Omera screamed._

_Din could hear her screaming despite being surrounded by ice-cold water. He was desperately searching for her but he felt a sharp pain in his side and reached up to feel blood spewing out of him like a faucet. It felt like his strength was draining out of him faster than he could keep up with it. It was too hard to get up and he kept stumbling and falling. Then a baby’s shriek pierced his ear. It wasn’t his son. Din knew his cries. This was a different baby, his baby. He couldn’t find it, or his son, or his wife, and he was swallowed by a soul-crushing panic. The cries and screams were getting louder. They were suffocating him and he couldn’t get to anyone fast enough. Trapped. Stuck. Drowning._

Din shot up with a gasp. Sweat was rolling down his face and his hands were trembling. That damn tremor. He’d had it for the past five weeks ever since they’d left Tatooine. It started up randomly and it seemed like very specific things triggered it. Sometimes it would start when Omera and Cara started to chat about the coming baby. Sometimes it would start when he could hear Caben playing with his toys on the cockpit floor. And other times it would start up when he could hear his wife singing as she organized and tidied up in the hull of the ship. It wasn’t severe, definitely something that wouldn’t impede his aim or flying abilities, but it was annoying and a reminder that he was weak. He hated it.

With a deep sigh, Din pulled himself out of bed, taking extra precaution not to wake his sleeping wife. She desperately needed it. Over the last five weeks, Omera continued to grow, and with it came all of the discomforts. Their child was kicking frequently now and between that and the awkward shape of her body, sleep was getting difficult. Any extended amount of slumber she could catch was a blessing. He knew this entire ordeal had been so hard on her. His wife was so strong, a truly formidable woman, but she didn’t deserve this. She deserved to be resting safely in the comfort of their home while he cared for her. This situation had gotten tremendously out of hand and there was no way out of it.

Throwing on a shirt and cramming on his helmet, Din left the hull and climbed up to the ladder to the cockpit. It was peaceful and the light of the stars rushing past lit up the small space with an ethereal glow. Cara was sitting in the pilot’s chair, her head nodded as she tried to fight sleep. He tapped her on the shoulder, startling her awake.

“Get some rest, Dune. I’ll monitor things for a while,” he said and she moved to the co-pilot’s chair so that he could sit. He sighed from underneath his helmet and she rolled her head against the back of the chair to look at him.

“You alright in there?”

“Yeah,” Din replied.

“You sure?”

Din looked down at his hands. The tremor was starting up again and he clenched his fists tightly in a poor effort to get them to stop. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Cara was silent for a while. “You know you can always talk to me. We’re friends you know, and you don’t always have to be the silent warrior who keeps everything in.”

Dim sighed again. It felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He didn’t want to cave or give in to his fear. He was a father and a husband. He couldn’t be afraid.

“Din? Hey, Din, your hands are shaking. Tell me what’s wrong.”

The tremor had indeed turned into full-on shaking and he clenched his fists even tighter. “It started after we rescued Caben and left Tatooine. I fucked up that day, Cara. I let them catch me off guard and they took my son. Next time it could be Omera. And while we’re on that subject, how much longer are going to be out here? Omera is getting close. The longer I drag her through this, the more and more dangerous it gets. I-I can’t afford to lose focus. I have to stay sharp constantly or something is going to happen to them and I will lose everything.”

“Din, you’re human. You aren’t some droid. You’re going to mess up. You’re going to make mistakes.”

“That’s the point, Cara. I can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

“I’m sorry, Din. I didn’t know you were dealing with all of this.”

“We’ve got to end this. It’s getting out of control. And now, if we don’t find some information exposing Briggs and all his operations, it won’t matter if we kill him or not. His lies will still exist and we will be hunted down for the rest of our lives.”

“So what are you suggesting?”

“This next target, while I’m handling the messy part I want you and Omera to do some recon and see if you can dig up any information on Briggs, something that connects him to all these criminals and illegal activities.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Cara nodded. “And hey, I’m glad you told me about this. You’re not alone, Din and you don’t have to handle this alone. You have Omera, and Sei and Sala, and the Kid, and you have me. We’re all going to work together and fix this.”

Din nodded as he continued to watch the stars whiz past. He had to get this under control. Meanwhile, in the hull below, Omera quietly stepped back from the ladder. Pain shot right through her heart and she felt her breath catch in her throat. For the past five weeks, Din had maintained an aura of calm and control. She didn’t know he was feeling all of these fears and emotions, especially when she’d been working so hard to get him to be honest and vulnerable with her. And to hear him spilling his heart out to someone else? It wasn’t that she was jealous of Cara. Omera knew that she and Din were friends and she didn’t fear any breach of that trust. But to hear him pour out his fears and be vulnerable and feel the need to hide things from her hurt worse than anything else that had happened so far. He felt so far away from her, so distant like an enigma. It felt like it did when he first arrived at her village; they were just two strangers who barely knew each other. Quietly, Omera got back into bed and curled up on herself as she cried herself to sleep.

***********

Despite reaching Trask’s atmosphere, their tracking fob beeped endlessly for two days despite the fact that they continued to follow the signal. It was as if their quarry was on the move, constantly evading them. Din was getting frustrated with this entire ordeal. After much deliberation, the convoy decided to land on a long-abandoned oil driller so that they could regroup and formulate a plan. The Mandalorian sat for a moment while Cara, Omera, and Caben waited for his next move. Nervousness gnawed at Omera’s insides. She’d discovered there was a lot more to her husband under his steel exterior and she was worried he’d become unpredictable. At last, Din sighed and stood up.

“Ok, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m taking Sei and Sala’s ship and going to do a little recon. I can travel faster alone.” He turned to Omera. “I will not try to take her on alone,” he said as if reading her thoughts. He knew his wife well.

“Her?” Omera queried. Next to no information about their target had been spoken in their weeks of travel.

“Yeah. Her name is Raze Zena. Shipping merchant. No doubt she probably helps smuggle black market goods for Briggs and is also another form of income.

“Trask is still a heavily regulated planet by the New Republic. It’s hard to believe she’s got an entire secret black market service running here,” Cara commented.

“We are dealing with an associate of a corrupt politician from Coruscant after all. He’s probably got a ranger or two from the New Republic on his payroll,” Din replied as he checked his rifle, ensuring it was loaded, primed, and ready to go. “Alright. I’ll be back shortly.” He turned to Cara and Omera. “I’m counting on you two to keep everything safe while I’m gone.”

Omera nodded, unable to shake the feeling of anxiety in her stomach. Something dark and sinister was hanging over her husband and it frightened her to no end. She caught his lingering look, as if to ask her if everything was alright. It wasn’t, but he couldn’t afford any distractions. Swallowing her fear, she reached over and gave his gloved hand a reassuring squeeze, wishing she could feel the warmth of his skin.

“Hello!” Sei called from the hull below. The couple had entered the ship and the moment was over.

“Omera, engaged safety protocols once I leave,” he directed and she nodded in the affirmative before climbing down the ladder and disappearing below. He gave Sei and Sala a brief nod of acknowledgment before leaving the ship.

A damp wind whipped his cloak around him as he walked to Sei and Sala’s ship. He gave the _Razorcrest_ a last glance before boarding. He had faith that Omera would set security protocol and that Cara would be able to defend his family if it came to that. He would make short work of this contact and they would be on their way. With a low hum, the ship came to life under Din’s hands and he took off, leaving his loved ones behind. Minutes ticked by into hours as Din hovered low over the choppy water, keeping an eye out on the tracking fob. Occasionally it would beep lazily, indicating that his quarry was on the radar, but still too far off and other times the frantic screeching promised that he was close. After roughly two hours of being constantly tricked by the infernal tracker, Din sat back in his seat frustratedly and inspected the small gadget, trying to see if it was broken.

It wasn’t.

“Dank ferrik!” Din cursed as he shoved the tracker into the pouch on his belt. He’d been hoping to avoid sending out a ping from the _Razorcrest_ to lure their target in but it appeared that their situation had come to that. The longer they stayed out here the more likely they were going to be discovered. Powering up the ship, Din headed back towards the drill.

Something was massively wrong when he returned.

His first indicator was the fact that the _Razorcrest_ ’s ramp was down, leaving the ship vulnerable and wide open. Omera never would have failed to set the security protocols. Something was very, very wrong. Din landed the ship and immediately jumped out of the cockpit and down to the hull, pulling his blaster and priming it. Who knows what was lying in wait for him the second he left the ship. He pressed himself against the wall and slapped the button next to him to open the ramp, his fingers tightening against the stock of his gun. He sprung out of the ship the second the ramp hit the ground and to his surprise he was met with…nothing. The platform was completely devoid of life. A sick feeling filled his stomach as he moved closer to his ship and saw the unmistakable scorch marks leftover from an intense blaster fight all over the steel floor of the drill and on the side of his ship. Cara and Omera were nowhere to be seen as he entered the belly of the _Razorcrest_ , his blaster still at the ready.

“Cara? Omera?” He called softly as he entered the ship. It was hollow and empty. Frantically he scrambled up the ladder to the cockpit, hoping maybe they were hiding there but there was no sign of them, or Sei and Sala, or Caben. He forced the bile that was rising in his throat down as he jumped down the ladder again. “Hey! Is anyone here?” He called.

Panic was steadily rising now, suffocating and choking him. He’d failed. He'd done something so monumentally stupid and now his wife had been taken. His hands were shaking as he ran to the back of the hull, praying that maybe they were hiding there.

“Is anyone here!? Hello?” He called again, his voice wavering with emotions that were threatening to spill over.

“Din?”

A timid voice called his name and he whipped around to see Sala poking her head timidly out of a trap door on the floor. A choked sigh of relief forcibly left his lungs as Din sprinted to her and threw open the trap door. He found Sei and Caben huddled in the secret compartment as well. A sickening sense of despair filled him when he noticed Cara and Omera were not among them.

“What happened?” Din demanded as he reached down and gently took the whimpering baby into his arms while Sei and Sala climbed out. “Where’s my wife? And Cara?”

“Oh Din, it-it was terrible,” Sala whimpered. “As soon as you left, they came out of nowhere, right out of the sea. Cara and Omera tried their best to protect the ship. They were able to bypass your security protocol and they took them hostage.”

Din felt his hands start to tremble but he clenched his fists. “We have to start tracking them, now. Omera has a locator embedded in her armor just like me. I can pull up her location in a few minutes Din said as he held his son close and started for the ladder. Before he could even put a foot on the first rung the tracking fob in his pouch started going crazy. Retrieving it, he stared at it as the little red light started flashing frantically. Everything started to shake and there was a deafening roaring sound outside that filled the air.

“They’re coming again!” Sala screamed and Din immediately pushed Caben into their arms and ushered them back to the trap door.

“Hide here and don’t make a sound. We can’t all afford to get caught. Don’t come out for any reason,” he told them firmly before shutting them into the compartment and drawing his blaster. Once more, he pressed himself against the wall to the left of the gaping entrance, preparing for the inevitable firefight that was about to ensue.

“Oh Din honey!” A female voice called from outside. Din bristled. Only his wife called him that. “Could you be a dear and come out?”

Din didn’t budge. There was no telling what was waiting for him outside.

“Shame! I was hoping you’d be an obedient pet. Too bad your lovely wife has to suffer for your disobedience.”

Din heard a pained scream that was unmistakably his wife and he bolted from his ship. He was immediately surrounded by dozens of heavily armed warriors. Quickly, he scanned his surroundings. Even with his blaster, impressive combat skills, and whistling birds, he’d never be able to take them all out at once. Standing in front of him was a slender woman flanked by two massive bodyguards. One had Omera and the other had Cara restrained in their ridiculously strong grip. Din felt his blood run hot with pure rage and he was thankful for the expressionless steel covering his face. He clenched his fists to hide the tremor.

“There. Now that wasn’t so hard was it,” the woman purred. “Disarm yourself now and I’ll spare your pretty little lady.”

“I take it you’re Raze Zena,” Din scowled as he set his blaster down on the durasteel ground and unstrapped the rifle from his back, and adding it to the blaster.

“So there’s a brain inside all that shiny steel,” Raze taunted. “Ah! The vibroblade too. I know all your dirty tricks.”

Din growled as he pulled the blade out of his bracer and dropped it on the ground with a sense of defiance. His eyes cut to his wife, easily picturing the look of petrified fear on her face. This was his worse nightmare come to life. Raze chuckled as she sauntered over to Omera and placed a hand on her obviously rounded belly. Din felt rage shoot right through him and the trembling in his hands stopped immediately.

“My my my,” she chuckled. “So you let the Mandalorian breed you hm? Tell me, is he as good in bed as I think he is?”

“Fuck you,” Omera spat. She wanted to sound as strong and brave as her husband but when it came to the matter of the child growing inside her, she’d sacrifice herself a thousand times over to protect it. When the innocent life in her belly was threatened, she was swallowed with an inconsolable fear. She knew there was a waver in her voice despite the steel covering her face. Raze noticed it too and smirked as she patted her belly.

“Guess I’ll have to find out myself.” She turned to her underlings who were still holding the Mandalorian at bay. “Get them onto the sub. Put the drop trooper in the brig. I heard former rebel soldiers fetch a mighty fine price on the black market. You made a lot of enemies in your career, Cara Dune. I’ll be able to triple my profits by selling you to any of them. As for the Mandalorians, follow me. I have extra special plans for them.”

Din reluctantly followed Raze followed by a throng of mercenaries with their blasters trained on him. Omera and Cara backed up the boarding party as they moved to the edge of the drilling platform. Din saw the massive, curved roof of a steel submarine peeking out of the dark waves and Din wanted to kick himself.

“Of course. That’s how you’ve been avoiding detection,” Din hissed.

“That, and the fact that I hacked into your tracking fob signal and scrambled it,” Raze said sweetly as she pressed a button on the control panel on her bracer.

The roof of the sub cracked open and a gangplank slowly extended to the edge of the drilling platform just above the water. Given any other time, Din would be impressed with such a vehicle. He’d seen a few submarines in his lifetime but never any with this level of modification. He was certain Briggs had funded this toy expansively. But now, it spelled certain doom for his family. They must have forgotten about Sei, Sala, and Caben. Or, perhaps since the main targets had been captured the rest of his family, the part that wouldn't be able to defend themselves, was safe. It was a steep trade, but one Din was willing to make. So long as the elderly couple and his son was safe, he would find a way to get Omera and Cara out of this.

Raze led them straight to the brig of the submarine and that’s where the group parted ways. A team of seven mercs along with the massive bodyguard took Cara away. Two of the mercs and the bodyguard holding Omera stayed behind with Raze and Din while the rest left to prepare to set sail.

“Alone at last,” Raze purred as she drew the blade from its holster strapped to her thigh. She pointed it at Din, who was standing still as stone while he tried to figure a way out. “You, stand over there,” she said, gesturing to a spot in the large, long room.

Din didn’t budge. He wasn’t going to let this bitch order him around.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Let’s not make this messy.” She pointed her dagger at Omera’s belly. “It would be a shame to unwrap the present before it was time.”

Din clenched his jaw so tightly he thought it would break as he walked to where he was directed and turned to face his enemy.

“Excellent. Now, take off the armor, but leave your helmet on.”

“What?”

“I said do it!” Raze hissed as she pressed the dagger point to Omera’s neck underneath the helmet, causing the woman to yelp.

Without another moment of hesitation, Din started to pull the armor pieces from their places on his flight suit. He couldn’t quite figure out Raze’s endgame here. It would be too obvious that she wanted him unprotected so that she could kill him quickly. He didn’t understand what the show was for. He took note that she watched him the entire time with a hungry, lustful look in her eye. When he finished piling his armor up neatly he stood before her again. She cackled.

“Hmmm yes, that’s nice. Now take off your shirt.” Din hesitated and she pressed the blade against Omera’s neck again. “Take it. Off. Now.”

Din huffed inwardly as he unzipped his flak vest and took it off, followed by the padded under armor. Reluctantly he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. He fought the urge to shudder as he watched her eyes roam over his body. \

“That’s better,” she purred as she lowered her blade away from Omera and strolled casually up to Din. Omera stiffened. She’d never been so scared in her entire life. Her husband was completely unarmed and exposed. All it would take for him to leave this world would be for Raze to drive her blade straight into his exposed chest.

Din felt the coldness of Raze’s presence as she grabbed a metal cuff with a chain fused to the end that was hanging from the wall. She reminded him of Xi’an and suddenly there was a tightness in his chest. There was something cold and manipulative about her. Toxic. She wasn’t just a formidable criminal. If he could put money on it, he’d say she’d taken advantage of many lost, naive young men like he had once been. He flinched when she grabbed his hand.

“Ah!” She warned and simultaneously the guard holding Omera poked her with his own blade making her yelp. Gritting his teeth, he relaxed and allowed her to take his hand into both of hers. She pulled his glove off and studied his palm for a moment, running her fingers lightly over his tanned skin.

“Strong hands,” she commented. “I bet you can do all kinds of things with these.” She pressed it against her face, biting her lip seductively. “Maybe you can show me later?”

She smirked at Din as she lifted up his arm and locked it into the cuff. Sauntering behind him she grabbed his other hand, pulled off the glove, and locked it into the cuff before returning to face him. She had a look of pure triumph on her face as she surveyed her pray, shirtless with his arms stretched out on either side. He looked so pathetically helpless and it delighted her to no end. Briggs would be infinitely thrilled that she was the one to finally take the bounty hunter down.

“There. You’re not so tough under all that armor. Just a pretty boy looking trying to play the hero.”She trailed a finger on the side of his helm. “Bet you’re really pretty under all that steel if your physique is anything to go by.

She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth as she ran her nails across his chest and abs, her fingers dipping just below his waistband. Every Inch of his skin and muscle felt so good against her hands. A sly grin graced her lips when she heard his breath stutter a little bit. She turned to Omera and gave her a wicked grin.

“Congratulations, love. You’ve landed yourself quite the catch. I have to say you’ve got to be a special kind of girl to put up with all this leather and steel. I must say watching him strip out of that armor certainly gets a girl hot. Tell me, what did it for you? Was it the armor, or did he let you catch a glimpse of what was underneath?”

Her fingers continued under his waistband, lightly tracing along his hip. It was taking everything in him not to have any sort of reaction to her touch. Panic was rising from deep in his gut. He could see Omera straining against the guard’s grip. This had to be killing her and Din was feeling so painfully vulnerable and exposed it physically hurt him. Raze came to stop behind him and he could feel her breath against his neck and she trailed her lips against the sensitive skin, peppering kisses along the plane of his shoulder.

“When was the last time she touched you?” Raze cooed as her hand traveled lower down his front. He jerked against the chains and his fists clenched as sharp panting breaths echoed in his helmet as he tried to escape her touch. She was insistent though as she moved to face him, blocking Omera’s view. His hands started to tremble again. She let out a chuckle. “I see how it is then. It’s alright. Your wife doesn’t have to see,” she purred as she ran her fingers up his member, grinning when she felt him twitch in his pants. He strangled a groan and shook his head as he squeezed his eyes shut. Sharp, panicked breaths were punching from his lungs as he tried to pull away again. Her smile dropped. “Shame. You could have been my pet.”

With another wicked laugh, she pressed a button and Din felt the cuffs open, releasing his arms. He was officially confused as he looked at Raze.

“Put your armor back on, now!” She growled. Din, thoroughly confused by this point, obeyed without a second thought. Swiftly he put his clothes and armor back on as she walked away from him and grabbed Omera roughly. “You shouldn’t have tried to play hero, lover boy. In the end, it only made you watch your pretty little wife die.”

She shoved Omera out over a grate he just now noticed on the floor and pulled a lever attached to the wall. In an instant, the grate slid out from under Omera’s feet and she was plunged into the icy water below.

“Omera!” Din screamed as he lunged for the hole.

Raze thew another switch and suddenly the grated floor was gone from beneath his feet and he was surrounded by water. The bars slid closed above him and he got the sinking feeling that he was trapped. With several powerful kicks, he reached the grate and grabbed onto the bars, pulling himself up out of the water. He was met with a horrible shocking sensation that started in his hand and traveled all the way uo his arm. The two mercs who had stayed behind now wielded electrostaffs. He cried out and let go of the bars and he heard Omera cry out before he slipped back under the water. He wasn’t going to go out like this and he wasn’t going to let his wife and unborn child die alone under the water. He pushed himself up and broke through the water, choking and coughing as he tried to grab onto the grate again. He was rewarded with another shock and his muscles seized temporarily causing him to plunge back under. He wasn’t prepared this time and he felt the dark water forcing its way into his airway. He coughed but only sucked more water in and he frantically tried to swim to the surface again. He couldn’t breathe and he was so lightheaded. A preemptive shock kept him from grabbing the bars again this time and he sucked in more water. He was going to drown. Omera was going to drown and it was all his fault.

His vision was starting to go gray when he heard something that sounded like blaster shots. Only, the sound was too garbled and he couldn’t quite be sure. His eyes slipped closed as he exhaled. This was his resignation. Then a strong hand was grabbing him by the chest plate and hauling him up. In the next breath, he was lying on the hard metal surface throwing up the water in his lungs and gasping desperately for breath. His head lolled to the side just in time to see Cara pull Omera up out of the pit and lay her out on the ground.

“O-Omera!” Din gasped as wheezed as he pulled his shaking body to his wife.

“Din easy! Take it easy!” Cara cried as Din reached his wife’s prone body and put his ear close to Omera’s face, hearing no breaths echoing through her helmet.

“Turn around!” Din barked and Cara obeyed before he pulled his and Omera’s helmets off. She looked cold and pale and Din felt like he was going to puke.

“Omera? Omera please,” he begged as he fumbled for the straps on her chest plate and yanked it off before starting compressions. “ _Gedet'ye olaror norac at ni, cyar’ika_ ,” he begged. (Please come back to me, Darling)

Suddenly Omera’s body was heaving and she was coughing and choking on the water as she worked to expel it from her body. Din sat her up and patted her back gently, getting her to spit it all up.

“D-Din…” she whimpered hoarsely and Din held her close as he rocked her trembling body.

“It’s alright, _cyar’ika_. It’s ok. You’re alright,” he soothed gently. “I’ve got you. It’s ok.”

“D-Din the b-baby,” Omera whimpered.

“It’s alright. We’ll get you back to the ship and everything will be alright.” He looked around and saw the boys of the two mercs lying on the floor but there was no sign of Raze. Rage filled him as he crammed his helmet back on. “Cara, where’s Raze?”

“I didn’t see her.”

“Have we left the rigger yet?”

“I don’t think so. I think a few went to look for Sei and Sala.”

“Ok. Get back Omera back to the ship. I’ll meet you there.”

“What are you going to do?” Cara asked as she helped Omera get to her feet.

“I’m going to take care of somethings. Now get back to the ship. Wait for me there. Go now!” Din ordered. Cara had never heard him use that kind of tone and she nodded as she helped Omera out of the room.

Din sucked in a deep breath letting his pent-up rage fill him. Raze had threatened his wife and almost killed her. Their baby was possibly at risk. He was breathing hard as he got to his feet. There was murder in his eyes. He was going to make Raze pay.

***************

Cara paced back and forth in front of the ramp of the _Razorcrest_. It had been half an hour since she’d left Din in that room and she was starting to get nervous. Something was very, very wrong and she was very worried about the Mandalorians. Omera had been pale and quiet since they returned. Sala had swiftly examined her but she couldn’t check up on the health of the baby without proper equipment. Until the baby moved there would be no way to tell if anything was wrong. This entire mission had gone sideways. Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned to see Omera. She wore her helmet but the rest of her armor was gone as she wrapped her arms tightly around her middle.

“Din not back yet?” She asked in a worried voice.

“Not yet but he should be back soon,” Cara reassured as she resumed pacing again. She stopped, however, when she spotted Din walking across the gangplank and back onto the drilling platform.

Omera wanted to run to him but she froze. Blood stained his armor and was splattered across his helmet. His boots trudged across the ground heavily as he reached the _Razorcrest._ “Let’s go,” he said gruffly.

“Where’s Raze? Did you get any information?”

“Raze is dead. Didn’t get any information. Now let’s go.” He trudged up the ramp with his wife and Cara falling behind.

“Where to next?”

“I don’t care. Just get us out of here.”

“Next quarry?”

Din shook his head. “No. We’re done.”

“What?” Omera asked as shock ran right through her.

“We’re done. That was too close. Our child is at risk. I’m not going to let this continue. We’re done. We’ll figure something out. Just get us out of here, Cara, before Briggs sends an army after us.”

“O-Ok Din. I’ll let Sei and Sala know,” she said before she climbed up the ladder to the cockpit.

Din turned to Omera. “Have you felt the baby move?”

Omera’s lip trembled and she shook her head as tears filled her eyes. Din moved to her and wrapped her in a hug. Normally, Omera would appreciate this gesture from her husband but the coppery smell of blood assaulted her senses and cold fear filled her heart. These were the arms of a stranger.

“We’ll figure everything out, Omera. I promise,” he said before letting her go and climbing up the ladder to the cockpit.

Omera stood in dumbfounded silence and looked down. There was blood on her sleeve. The fear and anguish were overwhelming now and she couldn’t fight the sob that bubbled up from her as she pulled off her helmet and sat on the edge of the bed, letting her tears fall freely.

“Mama?”

Omera looked over and saw Caben had climbed up onto the bed and rested his head on her lap, looking up at her with his big eyes. She sniffed back her tears. “Oh. It’s alright ad’ika. It’s alright. We’ll be ok. I promise I will make sure you, and me, and-and the new baby will be alright.”

Caben wrapped his arms as wide as they would reach around her pregnant belly and closed his eyes. Omera felt a sense of peace fill her as the Child reached out in the force to reassure her and she smiled a little. At least she wasn’t alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Let me know how you are enjoying this story so far. Your comments never fail to make me feel better and cheer me up. :)


	8. Cat and Mouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything falls apart and the enemy gains the upper hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi readers! I'm still kicking even if I'm feeling rather ill these days. 
> 
> I just wanted to check-in and make sure anyone is still interested in this fic. I don't hear a lot about it so I'm not sure anyone is still reading (my one commenter you know who you are and you know I appreciate you more than anything). I just want to make sure this series is still interesting. I still have one fic to go but if people are bored, idk, I can always just end it. Let me know what yall think!

Din took a deep breath. What he was about to do went against every instinct he had. But desperate times called for desperate measures. He turned to Cara who had discreetly been flying them in the direction of their next and final target for the past three weeks.

In all honestly, Din had meant it back on Trask when he said they were done. The situation had become far too dangerous and given that he’d almost lost his wife, son, and unborn child back to back was all the indication he needed that this was too much for him to handle.

And then the baby hadn’t moved since Trask.

Each day that passed without so much as a flutter from the tiny life inside his wife’s belly was another day that added nothing but pain and anguish to the small family. He could tell Omera was trying to put on a brave face and act like nothing was wrong but he could see the utter despair in her eyes. There were far too many nights when he laid awake, listening to her weep softly long after she thought he’d gone to bed. It was that resignation to tragedy that forced him to do something he never thought he’d have to do. He was going to lie to his wife and sneak away without her.

There was no way in this entire galaxy that they could spend their life on the run. He’d lived that before. Doing it alone was one thing, but he would not subject his wife, son, and newborn child to that kind of life, not when they deserved every happiness in the world. No, he was going to end this once and for all, and he was going to end it alone.

“You sure you want to do this?” Cara asked him, causing him to lose his train of thought.

“Yeah. The only way out of this is to stop Briggs once and for all.”

“What are you going to tell her?”

“That I’m getting supplies for our journey home.”

“And you’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

Din shook his head. “She’ll get suspicious if we both go. Or she’ll want to come. I need you to stay here and keep everyone safe. I can make quick work of this.”

“And how do you expect to navigate the streets of Chandrila when you’re currently a wanted man?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got an old contact there,” Din reassured as he brought his ship to land in the field below. The almost serene, rolling hills would provide enough cover for the two ships to camp out safely and they were roughly half a day’s walk from Nillo, the capital.

“If you insist,” Cara conceded as Din got up and left her to hold down the fort in the cockpit.

He steeled his nerves and took in another deep breath, wishing that his hands would stop trembling. This next part was going to be hard and he hoped with all his might that she had her helmet on so he wouldn’t have to look into her dark, trusting eyes and lie straight to her face. She of course wasn’t. She was sitting on the bed, watching as Caben played on the floor. The child in question was currently making his stuffed frog levitate and spin in the air, trying to pull a smile from the woman on the bed. She looked up when she heard him enter the hull and watched him with a confused look on her face as he strapped his rifle to his back.

“Where are you going?” She asked.

“We need supplies desperately before we get home. It’s a long way back to Sorgan,” he replied. _I’ll get supplies after I finish the job. It’s not like I’m lying._

“Shouldn’t I come with you or something? It’s dangerous to go alone.”

Din shook his head. “It’s even more dangerous to travel in a group. Everyone knows who we are and two Mandalorians seen together will draw too much attention.”

“How do you plan on just waltzing through a city?”

“I’ve got a contact there who can help,” Din replied as he reached into a cupboard and pulled out a thick, black cloak with a hood. He threw it over his body and pulled up the hood, masking his features. It would be difficult to tell there was a Mandalorian under the cloak and as long as he didn’t draw attention to himself he should be able to slip through crowds unnoticed.

Omera got up and studied her husband for a moment, her expressive eyes searching the steel for any part of him. She wished she could see his face and she reached out. He flinched purely out of instinct but then relaxed as her fingers glided gently over the side of his helmet. His hands started trembling. He hated every second of this.

“Alright. I’ve got to go. I want to hurry up and come back before we’re noticed,” Din said, pulling away suddenly. It was getting harder and harder to go through with this.

“Alright. Please be safe,” Omera said, instantly picking up on the coldness in his voice. Something was off about him. He’d been off for months now but this was a different level. The slight way he was pulling back from her was a new mannerism that definitely developed recently. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said before leaving the hull of the ship and closing the ramp behind him.

***************

Denor Vanda led a relatively quiet life. Most scrappers did. So when a cloaked figure burst into the workshop, he had every cause for alarm.

“Look, pal. There’s nothing of value here so just keep moving. Seriously. All I got is junk,” Vanda said, raising his hands in preemptive surrender.

“Well I hope you’ve got some armor back in there,” Din said as he pulled his hood back.

Vanda looked at the Mandalorian for a moment, completely dumbfounded as he came from behind the safety of his counter.

“Mando, I thought you were dead!” He bellowed as he slapped his old friend on the back. “You’re wanted on every system in the galaxy.”

“It’s a long story and I’m working on a short amount of time. Do you have a suit of armor I can borrow?

“I’ve got an old pilot’s flight suit and helmet in the back. But if I’m not mistaken, it’s nothing compared to that shiny beskar you’ve got on.”

“I’d like to borrow it if you don’t mind. I’m a wanted man so I can’t exactly walk around like this. I’ll bring it right back. You’ll have my armor as collateral.”

“That’s an awful lot of faith you’ve got in me,” Vanda said as he opened a cupboard and started to pull the uniform out.

“I’d like to think you’re a good man and you would help out someone who needed it. Also, you owe me a favor after I saved you.”

“Yes, I do suppose you’re right. Wouldn’t want to tangle with a Mandalorian anyways.” Vanda put the flight suit on the counter and then placed the helmet on top. “Better hurry up and get changed. Clearly, it’s important if it’s forcing you to part with your armor.”

“My family depends on it,” Din replied, grabbing the suit and helmet before going to a back room to change.

****************

Omera found herself completely uneasy. Something was very wrong with Din. He was hiding something. There was a time when she refused to believe that Din would ever do something like a lie to her or keep things from her, but over the past few months, she’d seen him do it again and again. She still didn’t know what he did to Raze, and the fact that he wouldn’t give her a straight answer led her to believe that the vile woman had met a truly fearsome and horrendous end. She sighed and put her hand on her large baby bump as she cast a glance at her armor piled neatly in the corner. All it would take would be a press of a button and her fears would either be confirmed or denied.

*****************

Din shrugged in the unfamiliar suit and adjusted the pilot’s helmet on his head. He had to admit that it was almost painfully strange to not be wearing his helmet. The steel had protected his face from the outside world since he was nine years old. He had to get this over and done with quickly so that he could return to the safety of his beskar and his Creed. The tracking fob in his hand beeped frantically as he arrived at a two-story office building. His target Kane Darreth was a sophisticated lawyer and a lover of the arts. Din had discretely researched the man a week before they arrived and he was well versed on his comings and goings. Darreth loved to host parties and galas frequently at his office building to showcase the art he’d collected. Perhaps it was this man’s way of convincing himself that he wasn’t as bad as his associates or employer.

But Din knew otherwise.

This man was as bloodthirsty and power-hungry as the rest of them. He was going to take Darreth down. And then he was coming for Briggs.

*****************

Omera pressed the button on her bracer and waited as the device powered up. A sick feeling that had nothing to do with the pregnancy rose in her throat. She wanted to believe him, she really did, but the past few weeks had demonstrated that perhaps she didn’t know him as well as she thought she did. There was a ping and Omera pressed the button, projecting a small holographic map of the city. She spotted a solid blue dot, representing her husband and her heart sank when she discovered he was at least five blocks from the market.

Her trembling hands dropped the bracer and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. A lump formed in her throat that was so large she feared it would choke her. The bile rose from her belly so fast there was no way to stop it and she ran to the refresher and emptied what little fluid was in her system before collapsing against the wall. She wanted to scream, and cry, and dig her nails into her skin until she bled. She wanted to hit Din until he hurt as badly she did. The anguish of possibly losing their unborn child and the stress of the past eight months was crushing and this was the final nail in the coffin. She sat for a moment, waiting for the tears to come.

They didn’t.

Numbness and anger replaced the sadness and betrayal. She was done pretending like everything was alright, because right now. Nothing was. The baby whimpered and she turned to face him.

“It’s alright, Caben,” she soothed gently before climbing up to the cockpit where Cara was sitting and cleaning her gun.

“I’m going out, “ Omera announced as she reached into and cupboard and pulled out the emergency sandstorm gear, which consisted of a mask that covered the mouth and nose and aheavy poncho. The mask had a built-in filter and was designed to prevent sand from filling the wearer’s mouth and nose but still enable breathing and talking. Of course, there was no sandstorm, but Omera figured this would be the perfect way to hide her face without being recognized.

“Whoa, Din said to stay put. It’s not safe,” Cara protested.

Omera jerked her head up so fast to look at Cara it hurt her neck. Her eyes bored through the visor and settled on the former shock trooper. Over the past year of their marriage, and the months leading up to it, Din had taught Omera the finer points of bounty hunting. He taught her to read others, picking up on facial cues and gestures. As she studied the woman standing in front of her, Omera realized that Cara had many skills, but lying was not one of them.

“You knew.”

“What?”

“You fucking knew!” Omera hissed as she slammed her fist against the wall in rage.

“I knew what?”

“Don’t. Play. Dumb with me. You knew Din was going somewhere else. You knew he was lying to me and keeping things from me. You’ve known from the very beginning.”

“Omera, I’m sorry-“

“Save it!” Omera spat in a wavering voice. “I’m going after him.”

“Omera, please. He’s just looking out for you,” Cara tried to reassure as she got up and started to walk to the enraged woman. She froze in her tracks when Omera pulled a blaster on her so fast it impressed her. _Just like her husband._

“I’m going after him and if you have any _shred_ of decency you will stay here and protect Caben and Sei and Sala,” Omera growled.

Cara backed up in concession and sat in the pilot’s chair, watching reluctantly as Omera disappeared back into the hull. In less than a minute the Mandalorian covered her armor with the poncho, removed her helmet, and replaced it with the mask before throwing the hood over her head and leaving the ship.

***************

Din tapped his fingers as he waited for the files to download from the database to the memory stick he’d inserted into the terminal. His eyes drifted to the unconscious woman on the floor. For someone as rich as Darreth, one would think he’d have the money to invest in better help. It had been easy to pick her out of the crowd, flirt with her some, make sure the Cassandra Sunrises were flowing freely, and then convince her to take him to Darreth’s office. After that, Din knocked her out and then was free to search for clues. Turns out all he needed to do was check Darreth’s mainframe.

After quickly sifting through files and documents, Din found business transactions, money transfers, and contracts between Briggs and his associates. Every last one of them, including Ninx. With this information, he could expose Briggs and put him away for good. He and his family would be safe once and for all and Caben’s village would be avenged.

The files had just finished downloading and the stick was returned to one of the pockets in his flight suit when the office door slid open and Darreth himself walked in. For a moment both men froze.

“Wouldn’t you believe it but your secretary over drank and passed out in your office!” Din said quickly.

Darreth stared him down for a moment. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he was reaching for the blaster tucked into his jacket pocket and Din was leaping over the desk at him.

**********************

Omera studied the entrance to the large office building. Two bouncers were flanked on either side of the door. There was no way she could get in looking the way she did and gaining entrance would require a more creative approach. She scanned the area surrounding, trying to come up with a plan of entry when she heard a loud crash followed by screams coming from inside. The bouncers flung open the doors just as gaudily dressed party-goers stampeded out of the building. Blaster shots echoed and Omera took this opportunity to push her way into the building. She skidded to a stop and ducked into a small alcove as shots continued to ring out.

********************

Din was glad Darreth was a typical, paranoid lawyer who kept a firearm strapped to the underside of the desk. Simultaneously he grabbed the blaster and launched over the table, throwing his entire weight into his feet as they connected with Darreth’s chest. The lawyer’s aim fired off wildly and hit the wall harmlessly as the two men tumbled out of the office. Darreth fired two warning shots into the air, alerting the bouncers outside and setting off a panic before racing as fast as he could down the stairs. Din, jumping to his feet, chose to take a short way down and vaulted over the side of the balcony to the floor below. Darreth’s path was effectively cut off but now Din had bouncers to worry about.

*******************

Omera watched from her hiding spot as a figure in a flight suit and helmet fired at the bouncers, dropping both before he turned and fired at Darreth who was trying to escape. The shot hit him in the leg and the lawyer cried out and fell to the floor. The pilot strode up to him and towered over him. Even with the visor down, he commanded power and terror. That was undoubtedly her husband. Omera had memorized every one of his movements and mannerisms. This masked man was definitely him.

“Please! Please have mercy!” Darreth pleaded as he tried to scoot away from the man who was rapidly approaching.

“Have mercy?” Din’s voice was full of rage. “Did your _boss_ have mercy when he bombed my son’s village and killed everyone in it? Did he have mercy when your business partner Raze almost drowned my wife?” Din grabbed Darreth by the shirt and yanked him to his feet. Din’s blood was boiling as months of fury and grief and stress were pouring out of him now. For the first time in weeks, his hands weren’t shaking. “Did he have mercy when he terrorized and threatened my family?”

“Please! Please I can get you anything you want! I can tell Briggs to drop your bounties. I’ll make sure your family is safe! Please, you can have anything you want!”

“I want, to make you and Briggs pay!” Din snarled as he snapped the man’s neck with his bare hands, killing him instantly.

Omera ripped the mask off her face and threw up violently as her stomach expelled everything in it at the sight. Pure shock and horror were twisting themselves, poisoning the very blood in her veins and sickening her more violently than any pregnancy symptom or virus. She tried to keep quiet but Din was a bounty hunter and he caught the sounds.

“Who’s there?” He called out as his finger hovered over the trigger of his blaster, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Omera came out from behind the wall with her hands raised and Din suddenly ripped off his helmet. I a second, Omera saw panic, guilt, and shame flash across his features and his eyes widened in shock. He opened his mouth like he was going to speak.

“Don’t!” Omera snarled, cutting him off from talking.

“Omera, please. Let me explain-”

“You don’t get to explain!” She shouted as tears welled up in her eyes. “You lied to me! You looked me squared in the eyes and you lied.”

“I did it to protect you.”

“Bullshit, Din!” Look at what you did!” She gestured to Darreth who was lying on the floor, his neck bent at an unnatural angle. “You killed him in cold blood with your bare hands. That is not what the man I married would do!”

“I’m trying to protect our family, Omera. What did you want me to do? Take you with me? You’re nothing but a liability. I can’t possibly end this if I’m constantly trying to make sure you stay safe.”

Din’s words cut through her heart but Omera wasn’t going to back down. Not this time. “You lied, Din. I never lied to you. I know I am not as skilled as you are but I have done my best to help you as best I can. I’ve sat here and pretended like this hasn’t been hard for me, like the baby not moving hasn’t upset me. I have tried so hard to be your support because that was the vow I made to you and in turn, you hide things from me and lie to me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard you talking to Cara. I know about the tremors and the panic attacks. I can’t believe after a year of marriage you still don’t trust me.”

“I trusted you to have my back in Coruscant and I almost died!”

Omera felt the tears running down her face and she couldn’t stop them this time. This wasn’t her husband. It couldn’t be. The man she married would never raise his voice at her or say such horrible things. Din saw the utter betrayal on his face and immediately regretted his words.

“Omera-”

“Don’t!” Omera sobbed. “Don’t you dare! I-I can’t do this anymore. I can’t. I don’t feel safe around you. You’re not my husband. I don’t love who you’ve become.”

Now it was Din’s turn to feel the pain of sharp words.

“W-what are you saying?” He cursed the waver in his voice.

“I’m saying that I’m taking Caben, and my unborn child, and I’m leaving. I will find someplace to go. You can continue _this_ without me. I will not be waiting for you.” Din noted that she didn’t say “our unborn child”.

“We are still a family,” Din protested.

Omera shook her head as more tears spilled down her cheeks. “We are not your family anymore. We stopped being a family the day you started to hide things from me and put this revenge mission before the people who loved you.”

She couldn’t speak anymore. She didn’t want to look at his face anymore or she would surely break down and never recover. Shoving the mask back on her face, Omera bolted out of the building. Her feet pounded on the pavement and she ran faster and faster back to the ships.

“Sala! Sala come on! Let’s go!” Omera cried and the older couple emerged from their ship.

“Omera? Omera what’s going on?” Sala queried. She could tell the young woman was nearly hysterical as she lowered the ramp to the _Razorcrest_ and disappear inside. Sala could hear the very loud conversation inside.

_“Omera! Thank goodness you’re-”_

_“Fuck off!”_

_“Whoa! What’s going on?” What happened?”_

_“I’m taking the baby and I’m leaving. You and Din can finish this little crusade on your own but the children don’t deserve to be put through this.”_

_“Omera stop! We’re all wanted! You’ll be stopped so fast-“_

_“I said fuck off Cara! Don’t you dare touch me or I swear I’ll put this vibroblade right through your skull?”_

Silence followed and then Omera re-emerged from the ship with her helmet on and Caben tucked in her arms. He was whimpering, sensing a serious disturbance within his family. “Come on, Sala. We’re leaving them here.” Her voice was full of anger as she marched to the ship.

Sei looked at his wife in bewilderment. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure but I’m going to go with her and try to talk her down. Probably a lover’s spat. Stay here with Din and Cara and see if you can’t do the same. I’m sure this is just a big understanding,” Sala reassured as her husband wrapped her in a hug before letting her leave to follow the female Mandalorian back to their ship.

***************

Din had watched his wife leave and it felt like his heart had shattered. For a moment he couldn’t breathe and he clawed at the flight suit. His words, his horrible words, were playing over and over in his mind. He could hear himself shouting horrible things at the woman he loved so deeply and unconditionally. He hadn’t meant it. How could he mean those things? He had to get her back. He absolutely had to. Clutching the memory stick in his hand, he bolted out of the building, leaving the carnage behind. He ran so fast and hard he thought surely his lungs would burst and yet he kept running. Images of Omera’s beautiful face marred by hurt and betrayal was all the fuel he needed.

He arrived at the ship and to his horror, Sei and Sala’s ship was gone. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. He refused to admit that he was too late as he jogged to his ship where he found Sei and Cara sitting on the ramp dejectedly.

“Please, p-please tell me…” his voice trailed off as Sei looked at him with pity.

“I’m sorry, Son. She’s gone. Took the kid.”

Din slumped to his knees, gripping his helmeted head in his hands. This was all his fault. He’d tried so hard to keep everyone safe and keep everyone together. In the end, he’d still failed the ones he loved. They were now somewhere in space, traveling far away from him and leaving him a shattered mess. He fought the tears that threatened to spill over as his hands picked up a tremor again.

“Hey, Din. It’s alright, Son. We’ll figure this out,” Sei reassured as he walked up to the Mandalorian and rested his hand on the man’s back.

Din wanted to push Sei away and tell him it wasn’t going to be alright. Nothing was ever going to be alright again. Everything that he loved, everything that mattered to him was gone and he didn’t see a way he could ever fix it. He was going to tell him all these things when the portable comm link on his bracer beeped. He saw it was from Sei and Sala’s ship and his heart lept for joy. Of course, she couldn’t stay mad at him. He would apologize and fix everything.

Pressing the button he answered, “Omera? Thank the stars Omera I’m so so-”

“You thought your actions wouldn’t catch up to you?” Din’s blood ran cold as Briggs’ voice came over the commlink.

“What have you done?” Din growled.

“You want to mess with my votes, with my empire? Fine. I’m going to make you wish you’d never messed with me, Djarin. Do you fancy a game of cat and mouse? Come find me or I will kill your wife and your son. I swear on my life, Din Djarin when I’m done with you, you’ll beg for me to end your suffering,” Briggs growled before the line went dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, please rate and review!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hoped you liked it. More to come soon!


End file.
